For Your Convenience
by TheLostWoods
Summary: Furihata is a struggling art student working the night shift at the local convenience store just to get by. Akashi is the lonely heir to a large corporation who finds himself strangely enamored by a certain brown-haired part-timer. Their meeting might not have been convenient, but it was exactly what they both needed.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kurobas or 7-Eleven. But I did buy a slushie there one time.**

When he kissed me for the first time, the world around me suddenly began to spin, and my head felt light and floaty. My eyes closed, and he held on to my arms tightly and I could feel myself falling. His strong grip on my biceps was the only thing that kept me from colliding with the floor.

Yes, the first time he kissed me, I passed out from shock.

Embarrassing, I know, but if a stranger you had barely known for a week- a _man_ at that- suddenly grabbed you out of nowhere and planted one right on you, you'd be a little surprised too. Especially when said kiss was your very first kiss. That isn't something you just take in stride or brush off with a nervous laugh before running for the hills without looking back.

Definitely not when it was _him_ doing the spontaneous smooching.

Anyway, I'm getting way ahead of myself here. This whole thing started about a week or so ago, during one of my late-night shifts at my part-time job. The night had started out just like any other, meaning it was slow, agonizingly boring, and I had definitely sneaked more than one cup of coffee from the pots when my manager wasn't looking. Little did I know, my life was about to take a crazy turn; all because of the night _he_ walked through the door.

* * *

"Furihata! You better not be sneaking coffee while my back is turned again!" my manager chided from somewhere unseen in the store. "Those pots are there for _paying customers_ , not lazy part-timers!"

I froze, the paper cup full of steaming brown liquid stopping just before my mouth. "U-uh," I stuttered, lowering the cup behind the counter and out of view. "Of course I'm not, Hyuga-san!" I chuckled nervously. He made his way around a few of the long shelves filling the store and into view, shooting me a look that told me he definitely doubted that I was telling the truth, but he didn't say anything else about it.

I sent him an innocent half-smile, to which he just rolled his eyes before speaking to me. "I'm heading into the back to check on a couple things. Do you think you can handle the floor alone while I'm gone?"

"Yes, sir!" I replied.

"Good. I'll be back in a bit. And, Furihata?"

"Sir?"

"…You've got coffee on your shirt."

I glanced down at myself and saw that I did indeed have a small brown stain on the chest of my red uniform shirt. I let out another nervous chuckle, earning me another eye roll before Hyuga-san turned and headed into the back of the store where we kept the stock items before they were put out on the floor. When I was sure he was out of sight, and grabbed my coffee and took a long swig of the cooling beverage. After setting the cup down, I glanced at my watch and sighed when I saw that it was only 10:30. Night shifts were honestly a huge pain.

I looked back down at the stain on my shirt, then peeked out the window. It didn't look like anyone was coming- I mean, not many people found their way in here at this time of night anyway- so I decided that it would probably be alright if I ran off to the bathroom real quick and tried to clean off some of the coffee on my shirt. Taking one last glance outside, I stepped out from behind the check-out counter and headed off in the direction of the bathroom.

I was always pleasantly surprised by how clean the men's bathroom actually was. Not that we let it get especially gross around here or anything, it was just that public bathrooms were always kind of icky in my opinion. Ours even _smelled_ nice, so that was definitely impressive.

I approached the sink and caught sight of myself in the mirror as I reached for the paper towel. My brown rat's nest of a head of hair was sticking up in all kinds of directions. I swear, I couldn't do anything with it. It had a mind of its own. I feebly attempted to pat it down, but it just flew back out into whatever crazy formation it decided it wanted to be in that day. I sighed as I gave up on trying to tame it and started to examine my face instead.

I looked seriously tired. There were dark circles under my too-big-for-my-face eyes, and my too-tiny-for-my-too-big-for-my-face-eyes irises were surrounded by red from lack of sleep. These constant night shifts were going to be the end of me, but considering I had college classes literally all day, I didn't have much of a choice when it came to my hours. I sighed again and grabbed a handful of paper towels, wetting and putting a bit of soap on them.

 _Just a few more hours, Kouki. You can do this._

I mercilessly scrubbed at the stupid coffee stain on my shirt, but it didn't show any signs of giving in to my abuse any time soon. With a groan, I crumpled up the soggy paper towels and tossed them into the trash can.

 _Nice shot,_ I thought to myself. _Maybe I should consider taking up basketball._

I chuckled at that thought. I couldn't imagine myself ever playing a sport like that. It was much too intimidating of a game for a wimp like me, and I would proudly proclaim that. I had other things that filled up almost all of my time anyway, and when I wasn't working, going to class, or studying, I was crashing on my bed. Sometimes I even passed out the couch in the living room when I didn't have enough energy to make it all the way to my bedroom.

I attempted to make my hair calm itself down one last time, but decided once and for all that it was futile, so I gave up and turned to head back to work. Just as I exited the bathroom, a large man came in through the automatic door. He was wearing a dark pullover sweatshirt with the hood up so most of his face was hidden. His hands were also stuffed into the pockets of the sweatshirt, but it had been rather chilly lately, so I didn't think much of it.

"Welcome to 7-Eleven!" I greeted as cheerfully as I could manage. It was late and I was incredibly exhausted, so I'm sure it wasn't as chipper of a greeting as I would usually give, but the man nodded stiffly and seemed to accept it.

I made my way back behind the counter where my now long-cold coffee was waiting for me. As I was considering the idea of getting myself a refill while Hyuga-san was in the back, the hooded man started to approach the counter. I was about to ask him if he needed help finding anything when he removed his hands from his pockets.

Clutched tightly in one of them was a shiny switchblade knife, which he promptly pointed right at me.

My blood went as cold as the coffee sitting in front of me. I could already feel my body begin to shake as my heart started to pound harder than I'd ever felt it beat before. My mouth began to open to call out for Hyuga-san to come to my aid, but the hooded man cut me off.

"Not a word," he warned, bringing the blade a little closer to my chest. "Understand?" I nodded. "Good. Now empty the cash register."

I nodded again and started to reach out a shaking hand towards the register.

"Stop," a commanding voice called out. I froze, my only movement being the slight shaking in my hands and the shift of my gaze towards the source of the voice.

It was not the hooded man that had spoken up, but another man standing behind him that had probably come in while I was in the bathroom, because there was no way I would've missed someone like _this_ waltzing in the door.

He wasn't very tall, standing only an inch or too higher than me, but the crazed look in his mismatched eyes gave him an incredibly imposing and intimidating presence. I think the hooded man was feeling the pressure this flame-haired stranger was giving off too.

"Get out," the intimidating man warned, his left eye flaring bright gold as his right burned into the back of the hooded man's head like a red-hot fire. I was honestly feeling more frightened by this new man than I was by the knife that was practically touching my chest.

The hooded man's hand tightened a bit on the handle of his blade, and he turned to face the man behind him, catching the full force of that striking gaze.

"I do not like to repeat myself," the red-haired man said, taking a step forward. "I said _get out._ " His eyes flashed dangerously and the hooded man was practically tripping over himself to get out of the door.

I found myself releasing a breath I didn't even know I was holding, and my shaking legs finally buckled beneath me. I managed to catch myself on the counter before I hit the floor. I felt sick to my stomach, and I cradled my spinning head in my hands, resting against the counter in case I started to fall again. While I was trying to calm myself, the red-haired man had approached the counter and set down a couple of sports drinks before addressing me.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded, still unable to find my voice, and looked up at him.

His red eyes- which I could've sworn were too different colors just a minute ago- were looking down at me in an almost calculating kind of way. I felt like he was analyzing or appraising me in some way, and it honestly kind of creeped me out a little. Still, this man had pretty much just saved my skin, so I didn't dwell on that feeling and decided I should probably thank him or something.

"U-um," I began, my voice cracking a bit because of the lingering feelings of being absolutely scared out of my mind, "tha-"

"I would like to check out now," he cut me off. I felt the slightest sting of irritation at being interrupted when I was trying to express my gratitude, but considering the man in front of me just managed to run off an armed man twice his size with just a few words, I decided it was probably best not to express that irritation to him.

"O-of course," I replied, quickly scanning his drinks and telling him his total. "Would you like a bag?" I asked while he handed me his card.

"That will not be necessary," he said. I handed his card back to him and he turned to leave with a small nod in my direction.

"Wait!" I called out as he was almost to the door. "You forgot one of your drinks!"

"No, I did not," he replied.

I glanced down at the cold sports drink before me in confusion. "B-but-"

"That is for you," he stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He turned around slightly to face me, a small smirk on his lips. "I must be going now. Good night, Furihata." And with that, he was gone as fast as he had appeared.

It took my mind a few seconds to catch up to what exactly just happened. _This is for me…?_ I picked up the beverage off of the counter, and a few drops of condensation rolled off the sides of the bottle and down my fingers. _It's my favorite flavor too,_ I mused. While I was staring at the bottle in my hands, Hyuga-san finally came out from the back and came over to me.

"Did something happen, Furihata?" he asked, taking a quick glance around the store. "You look kind of awful right now."

His words snapped me out of my staring-at-a-sports-drink trance and I felt another wave of sickness come over. That's when it happened. The world famous Furihata Kouki nervous word vomit.

"Hyuga-san!" I cried. "It was terrifying! I came back from the bathroom just as this big guy came in with a hood on but I didn't think it was a big deal because it's kinda cold out right now, y'know? But then he came up to the counter and pulled a knife on me and I tried to call for you but he told me not to and that I needed to empty the register and my hands were shaking and getting kind of sweaty and I was about to do as he said when this other guy showed up behind him- he was kind of short and he had red hair and this scary look on his face- and he managed to scare off the big guy and then I felt really sick and leaned my head against the counter to calm down but this other guy came up and asked me if I was okay and then he cut me off when I tried to thank him and he bought a couple of sports drinks and started leaving without one and when I told him he said it was for me and then he just left. But, but Hyuga-san! He knew my _name!"_ I stopped to catch my breath and looked up a Hyuga-san with wide eyes.

"Wow," Hyuga-san replied, pushing his glasses further up on the bridge of his nose. "I'm glad you weren't hurt, Furihata. It was fortunate that this other guy was here to help you out, otherwise we'd have an empty register and you'd probably be curled up on the floor crying or something."

I frowned at the last part of his statement. "But, Hyuga-san!" I repeated. _"He knew my name."_

Hyuga-san snorted a bit and then sent me another eye roll. "That's because you're wearing a name tag, idiot." I looked down at my chest and remembered that, yes, I was indeed wearing a name tag, like always. I let out my signature nervous chuckle, and felt my face heating up in embarrassment.

Hyuga-san snickered again before speaking to me. "Alright, dummy, you're still on the clock. How about you go and fix some fresh coffee while I contact the police about what happened?

"Yes, sir," I replied, shuffling over to the coffee pots, head hung in lingering embarrassment.

"And, Furihata?" Hyuga-san called.

"Yes?"

"Go ahead and pour yourself a cup while you're at it."

I felt my lips curl up into a small smile. "Yes, sir."

* * *

It ended up being one of those nights- though technically it was morning by now- where I was so incredibly drained of any and all motivation to move that I just crashed on the couch in my clothes for the few precious hours I had to get some sleep.

It had been a little more hectic than usual during the rest of my shift, due to the police showing up and drilling me about what had happened: if I could give them a description of the hooded man, if he had gotten away with anything, etcetera. Honestly, everything that happened once the police arrived was a huge blur. They got there right as I had finished making a new pot of coffee, and they bombarded me with questions until it was almost time for my shift to end. I was exhausted by the time they finally left, both mentally and physically, and all I could think about was going home and curling up in my nice, warm bed. Which obviously didn't happen, considering I barely made it to the couch before my body decided it was done being awake.

My first class of the day didn't start until 9:00am, so I had a few hours to rest, and I was thankful for each and every one of them. A full night's sleep was a rare thing for me nowadays. I was studying art at a university in Tokyo, and it was becoming a very demanding major. Every time I turned around, it seemed like there was another project due that I hadn't bothered to start yet, and with my job taking up so much of my time, I was constantly pushing deadlines. But other than the not-so-large amount of money my parents left me when they passed away- most of which went to college bills- I was supporting myself financially, so I couldn't even consider quitting.

I didn't like to complain about my situation though; I was thankful for what I had. The night shift at 7-Eleven wasn't really all that bad anyway. Sure, it wasn't always that thrilling- excluding the events of tonight of course- but I didn't particularly mind the quiet of it. Hyuga-san was nice, and I enjoyed working with him, even if he could be kind of cranky sometimes. All in all, I was pretty content with how my life was going, but I couldn't help but feel that something was about to change.

* * *

My alarm went off much too soon for my liking, and I groaned as I opened my eyes and was viciously attacked by the blazing beams of sunlight that were coming through the window I had been much too tired to close before I went to sleep. I tapped at the screen of my phone to get the stupid, annoying, high-pitched jingle I had chosen as my alarm tone to stop ringing before I ended up throwing my phone at the wall. Which had happened once before. I wasn't really much of a morning person.

I sat up and stretched my aching muscles. I was really regretting sleeping on the couch. It definitely wasn't the most comfortable thing. It had originally belonged to my parents, and they had had it for a least 5 or so years before I was even born, and I was in my 20s. It was also this awful puke-green color, and was horribly lumpy and dipped in at the middle. To be honest, it was a terrible couch, but I had a strange sentimental attachment to it and couldn't seem to let it pass on like it was practically begging to. I gave it a semi-loving pat before I hoisted myself up and trudged into the bathroom to take a shower.

If I had to claim one major weakness- besides my over-all wimpiness and lack of self-confidence- it would be my love of long showers. Seriously, if I wasn't careful, I could spend hours under the hot stream without even realizing it. When my parents were alive, they would actually set a timer, and if I wasn't out by the time it went off, they would barge into the bathroom and drag me out. It happened way more times than I would like to admit. Anyway, I had to be very attentive to the amount of time I spent in the shower, especially with my already tight schedule.

I managed to get in and out in under 30 minutes, which honestly was quite a feat for me. I wrapped a fluffy white towel around my waist and sauntered into my bedroom to find some clothes. I wasn't really what you'd consider "fashionable," so my selection was pretty limited when it came to my wardrobe. I eventually decided on a long-sleeve black shirt and a pair of loose light-wash jeans.

I yawned wildly and glanced at the clock on my bedside table. I still had about 15 or so minutes before I had to head out, so I went to the kitchen and took some time making myself some eggs and coffee. I was seriously afraid I was becoming a caffeine addict, but I honestly could barely function without it. I scarfed down my eggs and poured my coffee in a to-go cup so I wouldn't have to worry about trying to down it all before I had to leave. Checking the time again, I noticed that it was about time for me to get going, so I quickly slipped on a pair of sneakers, grabbed my backpack and coffee and scooted out the door, remembering to lock it behind me.

"Off to class, Furihata-kun?" a voice said out of nowhere.

I jumped when I finally caught sight of the blue-haired man beside me.

"K-Kuroko!" I exclaimed. "I didn't see you there!" Seriously, this guy was like a ghost. I chuckled a bit and tried to will my heart to stop raging from the surprise like it currently was. "Yes, I'm heading out now."

He nodded, showing practically no emotion on his face. "Alright, then. I hope you have a nice day."

I smiled at him and gave a nod of my own. "You too!" I replied as I took off down the hallway.

Kuroko was a very interesting guy. Like I said, he was like a ghost and had a really bad habit of sneaking up on people without them noticing. Not even Kagami, who had been together with Kuroko for years now, was completely immune to the blue-haired man's phantom-ness. I enjoyed spending time with him though; Kagami too. They lived a few doors down from me, and were the first to welcome me when I had moved in to the apartment complex a few years ago. They would invite me over for dinner occasionally, which was always wonderful because Kagami was highly skilled chef. I considered them both very close friends of mine.

I let loose another yawn as I made my way to elevator. I lived on the third floor, so honestly I could take the stairs, but I was so incredibly lazy and insisted the elevator was the only way to go. I pushed the "down" button and waited for the doors to open, taking a long swig of my coffee. I could already tell today was going to be a very, very long day.

* * *

"Furi! I'm having some people over to watch a movie tonight. Can you make it?" Fukuda asked as I stuffed my sketchbook into my backpack. I had just finished my last class of the day, and all I wanted was to go back to bed and sleep for 20 years.

"Ah, sorry. I can't," I apologized, "I have to work tonight."

Fukuda frowned. "All you do anymore is work." He sighed. "Okay, then. But you're definitely coming next time, got it?"

I smiled and chuckled softly. "Yeah, yeah, I got it."

He perked up a bit at that and flashed me a big grin. "Good! See you later then, Furi!" He sent me a wave and took off.

I laughed as I watched him go. Fukuda was a really great guy, and I regretted that I wasn't able to hang out with him and Kawahara as often as I used to be able too. I'd known the two of them almost my entire life, and they were the most dependable people I'd ever met. It honestly killed me to have to constantly pass up on opportunities to spend time with them and have to let them down over and over again. They were understanding of my situation, though, and they were always incredibly supportive. I don't know how I would've made it after my parents died if it wasn't for them being there by my side to whip my self-pitying butt back into shape. I'd definitely make everything up to them one day.

I slung my backpack over my shoulder and started to make my way out of the classroom when my professor stopped me.

"Wait a minute, Furihata," Aida-sensei said. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Yes, sir?" I asked, walking over to the desk where he stood.

"It's about the artwork you've been turning in to me lately."

"What about it?"

He frowned. "Frankly, it's disappointing."

My heart stung. "E-excuse me?" I stuttered. "What do you mean by that?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before replying. "I don't really know how to put it exactly, but it's empty. There's no emotion in it. It's superficial. A cheap attempt at expression. Visually, it's not bad, but art is supposed to make you feel something deep inside when you look at it, stir up some kind of emotion, and all I felt when I looked at yours was bored. Does that make sense?"

I stared at him blankly. I couldn't make any words come out of my mouth, so I nodded.

"Good," he said. "Now, I know what you're capable of, Furihata. You definitely have talent, but creating a work of art takes more than that. It requires your soul. You have to be willing to be vulnerable and pour out your everything onto that canvas. Right now, you don't seem able to do that. So, for the upcoming assignment, I really need you to expose yourself in the work. Take a chance. Don't just settle for mediocre."

I nodded again. "I-is that all, sir?"

"Yes, that's all," Aida-sensei replied.

I bowed slightly and hurried out of the classroom. I was flustered, and felt the slight prickle of tears forming in the corners of my eyes. What did he mean "expose yourself in the work?" How did you put that kind of emotion into a work of art anyway? Frustrated, I groaned and pulled on the ends of my hair. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I never thought that art could be so complicated!

Aida Kagetora was very successful and well-known in the art world, and I knew that he was just trying to help me grow as an artist, but all he had really done was discourage and confuse me. I had no idea what I was going to do for my next project, but I hoped that I wouldn't end up screwing up whatever it would be. Art was the only thing that I really had, and I didn't want to end up losing it.

I sighed and pulled out my phone to check the time. I didn't have work for a few more hours, so I decided that I would head on home, take a well-deserved nap, and grab a bit to eat before heading out for the night. Hopefully, tonight would be normal.

* * *

The minute I saw _him_ walk in, I knew the night would be anything but normal.

"W-welcome to 7-Eleven," I greeted as he stepped in from the cold.

The red-haired man sent me a polite nod and made his way over to the sports drinks and quickly grabbed a couple, like he had bought the night before. I quietly observed him from behind the counter. He seemed… different than last night. He still had a rather intimidating presence about him, but he wasn't giving off the same frightening feeling he had before. He turned his head slightly looked in my direction. I felt my face heat up at having been caught staring and quickly averted my gaze. He started to approach the counter while I was looking away.

"I would like to check out now," he said, placing his drinks down on the counter.  
"Of course," I muttered, reaching out and scanning his purchases. In a rare burst of courage, I decided to talk to him a bit more, specifically about last night. "U-um," I began timidly. "I just wanted to thank you for last night. You really saved me… uh…" I trailed off.

"Akashi," he replied. "Akashi Seijuuro."

 _Akashi Seijuuro?_ That name sounded vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Well, thank you, Akashi-san," I said finally.

A smirk appeared on his face. "Think nothing of it," he replied.

I sent him a small smile and finished getting him checked out. He again handed me his card, which I promptly swiped. When I went to return it to him, I noticed he was looking at me with an expectant expression on his face.

"Well?" he asked.

"E-excuse me?"

"I told you my full name," he explained, "so it would only be polite to in turn tell me yours, don't you think?"

I felt my face heat up just a bit at that. Duh. "O-of course!" I stammered. "I'm Furihata Kouki."

His expression turned thoughtful. "Kouki, hm?"

I nodded, finally managing to hand his card back.

He hummed lightly and grabbed one of his drinks before turning to leave.

"You forg-"

"You have it," he said, cutting me off.

"Uh… well, thank you, Akashi-san."

Akashi-san hummed again and continued towards the exit. "It was nothing," he insisted. "Good night… Kouki."

And he was gone.

And I'm not going to lie, the way he said my name gave me chills. And I didn't know how I felt about that.

* * *

I never imagined that Akashi-san would come back after the night of our first encounter, let alone that he would come every night for the rest of the week.

Honestly, it was kind of freaking me out.

He would show up at roughly the same time each night- always dressed in an expensive looking suit- go straight to the sports drink cooler, grab a couple, head over to the check-out counter, buy both of them with his card, end up leaving one behind, and softly wish me a good night as he left.

It was the same. Thing. Every. Night. And somehow I still knew pretty much zero things about him because our conversations lasted a minute or two at best and mostly consisted of me telling him how much money he owed. It wasn't exactly the most thrilling of social interactions. Thankfully, the small amounts of time I had spent with him over the past week had helped me sort of get past that "you are the most terrifying human I have ever seen" impression I had originally formed of him, so that was something. I honestly had no idea why he kept coming in night after night though, just for a cheap sports drink he could probably get from a vending machine pretty much anywhere. Like I said, it was a little bit freaky.

When he came in on the 7th day, I had already long become accustomed to the sort of routine we'd fallen into. Which is why I was so surprised when he did not go straight to the sports drink cooler as he usually did, but instead came towards me. I was confused by the sudden change in routine, but didn't really spend a lot of thought on it. It wasn't like it was a spoken rule that he had to go to the cooler first or anything. I had just opened my mouth to welcome him to the store, like I did every night, when it happened.

Suddenly, his face was much, much, _much_ too close to mine- I could've sworn his left eye glinted gold like it had the night we had met- and before I even had a chance to prepare myself or run and hide or really do much of anything, his lips roughly crashed against mine.

And this is where we came in. The part where I was so shocked, so surprised that my first kiss was stolen away in such a way, that my body couldn't handle it and decided to give up on consciousness.

Before I was completely lost to the world, I heard a small chuckle and a chilling voice uttering an even more chilling promise. "This is going to be fun, _Kouki._ "

I take back what I said earlier.

Akashi Seijuuro was by far the most terrifying human being to have ever lived.

 **A/N:  
What even is this? I don't know how my brain created this thing with all of its words.  
I had a weird dream like this story the other night, and I guess it just turned into this.  
It's also 3am, which is probably why I'm losing my mind at this point.  
Good night.**


	2. Chapter 2

A long shower was well-deserved at this point, water bill be damned. I rested my forehead against the cool tile lining the shower walls and let the warm water cascade down my shoulders and back. I sighed when I recalled the events of the other night.

By the time I had come to, Akashi-san was gone.

He stole my first kiss and then just _left._

I'd be lying if I said that it didn't sting in a way that I didn't completely understand.

He did take the time to hand me over to Hyuga-san, come up with some reason why I had suddenly fallen unconscious, and make sure I was taken care of before he abandoned me, so I guess I could give him that much. But still, what kind of person would just run off after doing something like that?

No, the real question was… why did he kiss me in the first place?

My heart jolted and my face became much too warm for my liking at that thought.

Why _did_ he kiss me?

We barely knew each other, after all. Was he gay?

Was _I_ gay?

I froze. No, no, no, no, no. I definitely was _not_. Why did I even think that? I mean I've never had any doubts about my sexuality before, so why was I suddenly having thoughts like that now? Was it because of the fact that I'd never kissed before, so I didn't know what it felt like and was caught off guard? Because it wasn't like I enjoyed the feeling of having his lips smashed against mine, moving ever-so-slightly and causing a soft, warm friction to form between us.

Or did I?

I grabbed the water temperature control knob and gave it a sharp twist to the far right. I gasped when a gush of icy water rained down on me, bringing me away from the bothersome thoughts I was having. I was definitely thinking _way_ too much. It was all because I was so exhausted, right? Yeah, I was thinking all this weird stuff because I was tired and wasn't currently in my right mind. That had to be it. Definitely.

I nodded at the brilliant conclusion I had come to and promptly removed myself from the freezing shower. I rubbed a towel through my hair, causing it to puff up in weird places, but I didn't particularly care because today was the day I had been waiting the entire week for. My day off. No classes, no work, just me and my sketchbook spending some much-needed quality time together. And maybe, if I was lucky, I could squeeze in a long nap sometime today as well. But my art was definitely a priority.

I had been thinking a lot about what Aida-sensei had told me, but I still wasn't exactly sure what he meant. I figured it would just draw a whole bunch until something came to me; like an epiphany or something. I was pretty sure that Aida-sensei would probably hit me if I told him that was all I had come up with to try to solve my "problem," but I was honestly at a loss as to what else I was supposed to do about it. Art had never been a difficult thing for me; I never really had to think about it before. It was just something I just did. I never imagined that it would become such a stressful, intensive thing for me.

I let out a small sigh as I made my way into my bedroom to slip on some clothes; just a simple t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Like I said, I didn't have anywhere to be, so it didn't really matter that I looked like a bum right now. I didn't care. I was perfectly content with my bum-like appearance. Before I left my bedroom, I made sure to grab my sketchbook and pencils out of my backpack before heading into the living room area to set up camp.

I plopped myself down on the puke-colored couch, being careful of exactly where I sat, because putting weight on the wrong part caused it to dip and send you almost to the floor. Which was a harrowing experience to say the least. Deeming the spot I had chosen safe, I curled my legs up underneath me and opened to a blank page in my sketchbook. I stared down the white page, pencil in hand, and I had absolutely no idea where to go from there.

I had no ideas; no inspiration. It was beyond frustrating. I absentmindedly started scratching the end of my pencil across the textured page, hoping something would come to me.

Aida-sensei's words rang in the back of my mind. He said to "expose myself in the work" and "be vulnerable and pour out my everything." Did he mean to just draw what I was feeling? But how exactly did you do that? Was it even _possible_ for me to do that? But what if that wasn't what he meant at all?

My grip on the pencil tightened, halting its movement on the page. Maybe I would just give up on trying to create something right now. Clearly, no great sparks of inspiration were going to be coming to me any time soon. I glanced down at the page I had been scribbling on and noticed that I had begun to draw a sort of roundish object; really nothing exciting or groundbreaking. With a sigh, I shut the sketchbook and slid until I was laying down on the couch instead of sitting upright.

I was starting to feel discouraged, and I hated it. It was at times like this that I missed my parents more than anything. When I got like this, my mother would always know exactly what to say to help me turn around. She would have me rest my head in her lap and she would softly caress it and smooth out my mess of hair, gently whispering something encouraging to me before leaning down and placing a kiss on the crown on my head. I felt like I could still hear her soft voice even now.

"Kouki," I could hear her say, "it's okay to struggle. If we did everything right the first time we tried, we wouldn't be human. Failure isn't weakness, it's what makes us stronger. So it's okay." I could see the soft smile form on her face. "Just remember this; when you struggle," I could feel her lips lightly press against my head, "you don't have to do it alone."

I sniffled a bit and curled my legs up against my chest. It still hurt. I lost them almost 5 years ago, and it still hurt like it was just yesterday. I still found myself hoping that there'd be a knock on my door one and they'd be standing there, smiling at me and wrapping their arms around me and telling me they loved me. I missed that. I missed _them._

I closed my eyes and felt myself starting to slowly drift off to sleep. A nice nap was just what I needed right now.

* * *

I swear to God, if my phone rang one more time, it was getting a one-way ticket to the wall.

I had literally just fallen asleep when that all-too-familiar tune started playing, signaling that someone was calling me. I decided to ignore it; my opportunity to finally get a little sleep had come at last, and I wasn't about to let it get away from me. Unfortunately, whoever was calling clearly had a different idea and tried at least three more times.

I had finally reached my limit of patience- I really, _really_ hated being woken up- and roughly grabbed my phone.

"What?" I muttered tiredly. And admittedly a little grumpily.

 _"Kouki,"_ a familiar, terrifying, authoritative voice spoke.

Oh, crap.

"A-Akashi-san?!" Crap, crap, crap. "H-how did you get my number?"

He snorted softly in an almost mocking kind of way. _"I have my ways, Kouki."_

Oh, God, he was _scary._

I found myself unable to respond intelligently and just started mumbling a bunch of gibberish like a blubbering sleep-deprived idiot. Brilliant.

 _"Kouki,"_ Akashi-san interrupted.

"Yes?" I squeaked. God, help me.

 _"Meet me in the park in 25 minutes."_

"Excuse me?"

My question was met only with the clicking of the call being disconnected.

Did he just _hang up_ on me?

No, better question.

Did he just tell me to _meet him_ somewhere?

I had half a mind to just ignore him and go back to sleep for a few more hours, but I was honestly terrified of what he would do if I stood him up. I mean, if he had managed to somehow track down my phone number, there was no _telling_ what else he was capable of doing. I shivered a bit at that thought. It would probably- no, definitely- be in my best interest to go and see what it was that he wanted.

I just really hoped I wouldn't regret that decision.

* * *

As soon as I stepped out my front door, I realized that Akashi-san hadn't actually indicated _which_ park I was supposed to meet him at. Which meant that I had to wander around to find where he was. Which was tedious and a little annoying. Not that I would mention that to him when I found him. Scary.

After searching for around half an hour, I finally, _finally_ saw a head of red hair in the distance. I jogged over to him, catching my breath when I reached him.

He was sending me a haughty look when I approached, left eye sparking gold for a moment.

"You're late," he said in a way that was much too calm for his current expression.

"Uh," I started, "I wasn't sure exactly which park you meant so…"

He "humph-ed" in reply.

How could a "humph" be so damn frightening?

I felt his eyes scanning over my body; that same calculating gaze he had used the first time we had met. I shivered involuntarily.

"What are you wearing?" he said finally.

"Huh?" Always with the intelligent responses.

His eyes narrowed into a (terrifying) almost-glare and I swore his left eye just got more gold.

"I don't like to repeat myself," was his only reply.

I looked at him for a moment before glancing down to look at what I had on. Sure, Akashi-san was in an expensive looking suit that made my simple shirt and jeans combo look kind of tacky in comparison, but he always dressed like that so I didn't really get what the big deal was.

"A t-shirt?"

Bad response, Kouki.

His glare darkened.

I was going to die here, wasn't I?

"Is this what you always wear on dates, Kouki?"

…What?

 _What?!_

"What?" I managed, after opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water for a solid 5 seconds.

"We must find you an appropriate outfit," he decided, just ignoring everything I said.

"But-"

He grabbed my hand and started tugging me off to God-knows-where, and I suddenly found myself incapable of voicing any protest.

* * *

"I'm sorry, it costs _how_ much?"

The sales clerk repeated the (ridiculously ginormous) amount once more and for a moment I thought I was going to pass out again. Akashi-san didn't even seemed phased by the incredible cost and passed over his card without hesitation (seriously, who _was_ this guy?). I thought about objecting, but I was sure I would just be ignored as usual.

The place Akashi-san had dragged me to was a men's clothing store. A very, very high end men's clothing store that I would never in a million years even consider stepping foot in, let alone _shopping_ at.

Before I could even say anything, Akashi-san shoved me into a dressing room and thrust a handful of clothes into my arms. I happened to take a peek at one of the price tags; the silk tie _alone_ would take almost an entire paycheck to purchase. Not that I had any idea how to tie the damn thing anyway.

I grudgingly slipped on the (stupid expensive) ensemble- leaving the tie undone of course, because I seriously didn't know what to do with it- and took a quick look at myself in the mirror.  
The suit itself was a dark gray color, almost black really, and was rather form-fitting. Underneath the jacket was an emerald green button up- which happens to be my favorite color, by the way. Finally, to top it all off was a clean, crisp, white silk tie which I could already see myself spilling something on. I'd never dressed in something like this before, but frankly, I didn't think I looked too bad in it. I definitely wasn't trying to be narcissistic or full of myself by any means; with my mess of hair, disproportionate eyes, and utter lack of fashion sense, I'd never considered myself to be that attractive. But this outfit… something about it made me feel… nice I guess?

I smiled slightly at myself and then exited the dressing room.

The look on Akashi-san's face when I walked out caused my own to heat up ever-so-slightly. His normally harsh eyes- both red again, I noted- were blown wide, and his lips were parted slightly and turned up a bit at the corners. I'd never been looked at that way before. It was… uncomfortable? No, that wasn't it. More like…

"Kouki," he finally said, pulling me out of my thoughts. His voice was soft and gentle, barely above the volume of a whisper. He took a step towards me, then another, and another until he was right in front of me, only a few inches separating us.

Oh, God, the last time he was this close he-

Again, he managed to interrupt my train of thought, this time with a small chuckle. "You're hopeless," he muttered, taking the ends of the silk tie haphazardly dangling from my neck; expertly and neatly tying it. He smirked and seemed satisfied with his work.

"We'll take it," he said, catching the attention of the sales clerk I hadn't noticed was lingering near us.

"Of course," the man responded with a small bow.

Akashi-san seemed incredibly pleased.

* * *

After leaving the store- Akashi-san insisted I changed in to the (so _freaking expensive_ ) suit before we left- my hand was grabbed once more and again I was being dragged off towards an unknown destination.

The collar of the button up had started to feel a bit stuffy around my neck, but I assumed that was just because I just wasn't used to it. I really wanted to loosen the tie a bit, just so I could let myself feel like I could breathe, but I was sure Akashi-san would scold me if I attempted anything like that. So I let it be and continued to allow myself to be tugged along like a small child.

I looked down at the joined hands that were hanging loosely between Akashi-san's back and me. He hadn't spoken a word to me after we left the store, and I wanted nothing more than to ask what all of this about. But considering I'm the world's greatest and most legendary wimp, I held my tongue. He had mentioned a "date" earlier, but surely he hadn't meant a _date_ date, right?

I mean, he had kissed me, but that had to have been some kind of sick, twisted joke. He was terrifying and crafty like that. After all, there was no way he'd ever be interested in me that way. I was awkward and lame and unattractive, not to mention a huge coward. Those were the reasons I'd been single all my life, and I knew and accepted that. So, why? Why was I here, wearing this suit, holding this hand, heading off to somewhere with this man who sometimes scared me silly and sometimes made my face heat up and my heart go wild? I had no idea.

I was straight. I knew that. I would swear by that. So… why?

"Here we are," Akashi-san said, leading me through the doors of the restaurant we had arrived at.

We were immediately greeted by a man in a (also probably crazy expensive) dark suit. "Welcome, Akashi-san," he said with a polite bow. Akashi-san nodded once in response. "Your table is right this way." The man started off into the restaurant and Akashi-san instantly began to follow him.

"Come, Kouki," he commanded gently.

I nodded and began trailing behind him in step.

We were led far to the back of the restaurant- which I could already tell was going to be costly just from the look of it- and were guided into a small private room I guessed Akashi-san had requested beforehand.

"Here you are," the man said before bowing once more and leaving us, shutting the door to the room behind him.

Without the light coming in through the door, the room darkened significantly; the only illumination coming from the pair of candles in the center of the table. Moving slowly so as not to trip on myself (I was also a notorious klutz), I made my way to the table, choosing to sit in the chair closest to the door. As I was about to pull it out, Akashi-san rushed forward and gracefully slid the chair out for me.

"T-thank you," I mumbled, beginning to sit down as he guided the chair under me. A quiet hum was his only response.

Akashi-san promptly took his seat across from me, sending me a small smirk as he did so.

"Order anything you would like," he insisted.

I nodded and lifted up the menu that was laying in front of me.

Holy _crap_ I couldn't read any of this, it was definitely _not_ in any language I knew, but dear _God_ was everything expensive. I assumed as much from the moment we walked in, but this was just _ridiculous._

Akashi-san clearly sensed my distress and let loose a small chuckle. "Would you perhaps like me to order for you?"

I nodded, dumbfounded and probably gaping at the menu like a lunatic.

By the time I had regained my senses, the waiter had come and gone with the order and Akashi-san was back to staring me down with that dumb smirk on his face.

 _Who_ are _you?_

"Akashi Seijuuro, I already told you that, Kouki."

 _Oh, God, I said that out loud, didn't I?_

I was starting to mentally kick myself, but decided since I already subconsciously started the Q and A session I'd been dying to get to since this day started, I might as well just go with it.

"But," I began, "the suit, this restaurant, all of it, this must be costing you a ton of money. I mean, how could any normal guy off the street that frequents a 7-Eleven in the middle of the night afford something like this?"

He stared me down for a handful of agonizing seconds, looking slightly baffled at my statement, and I was honestly started to be afraid that I had offended him in some way when he finally spoke up.

"You honestly don't realize who I am?"

I looked at him for a moment, studying his face, his hair, his eyes, everything. Until suddenly it clicked. Oh. My. God. I was an idiot.

"Wait, are you telling me you're _that_ Akashi Seijuuro? 'Heir to the Akashi Corporation and filthy rich,' Akashi Seijuuro?"

He chuckled and a small smile lit up on his face. "You really didn't know? Oh, Kouki, you never cease to surprise me."

I definitely did not blush when I saw that gentle smile of his. Nuh-uh. Not me.

But now I was even more confused than I was earlier. What would _the_ Akashi Seijuuro want with _me_ of all people?

"Isn't that obvious?" he asked.

 _Damn it, I did it again._

This "accidently saying my thoughts out loud" problem I had just apparently developed was going to get me killed one of these days, I was sure of it.

"Uh," I replied, knowingly this time, "no, not really."

There that smirk was again. He leaned forward a bit, resting his elbows on the table, overlapping his hands, and placing his chin on top of them. Maybe it was the candlelight, but I promise you that left eye became golden just then.

"I am besotted with you, Kouki, and I intend to make you mine."

If the waiter hadn't come in at that moment to deliver our food and had somehow managed to catch me with one arm, I would've fallen straight to the floor. I swear, this "passing out every time Akashi-san talks to me" thing was also starting to become an issue.

* * *

Our dinner date- which was now confirmed to definitely be a _date_ date- was cut short due to my fainting spell. Akashi-san was very attentive when I regained consciousness (I was only out of a handful of seconds), which I guess I was thankful for since he pretty much abandoned me the last time it had happened.

He had insisted on taking me home, which I argued with adamantly because I was _not_ ready for this guy to know where I lived. I eventually managed to talk him into agreeing to simply drop me off at the park we had met up at earlier on. I tried to slip away as quickly as I could without seeming rude, but he managed to catch me and plant a small kiss on my head before I could protest. Not that I would. Because wimp, remember?

He flashed a small smile before releasing me. "Good night, Kouki."

My reply was a small, polite nod and then I was out of there. I had serious trouble dealing with this guy.

Home was such a nice place. Seriously, it wasn't a super fancy apartment or anything, but it was cozy and welcoming and walking into it after the day I'd just had was the most amazing feeling.

So much for my nice, relaxing, nap-filled day off.

I yawned as I slipped off my shoes- which I should mention were also new and expensive, courtesy of Akashi-san- and began to remove the layers of suit covering my body; carefully, of course, because it cost _so much_ freaking money. I hung the items up (carefully) in my closet and collapsed on my bed in only my underwear because dang it this was supposed to be my day of rest and relaxation and then everything went crazy and if I wanted to sleep in my own bed in my own apartment in nothing but my underwear I had every right to.

I curled myself up under the covers and closed my eyes, trying to will myself to fall asleep. Unfortunately, my mind was racing all over the place and I just couldn't calm down.

I mean, Akashi-san had basically _confessed_ to me. How was I supposed to deal with that? I couldn't just easily drift off to sleep with that thought buzzing around in my brain. No matter how much I tried to think about something else, it just kept pushing its way up to the front and dominating every other thought my brain could muster.

I had a feeling this was going to be a long, _long_ night.

* * *

I had convinced myself of the fact that I was never going to get a good night's rest for the entire remainder of my life. I was up for hours last night, tossing and turning and trying to get a certain red-haired most-likely billionaire out of my head. Which I couldn't, and I found that fact extremely irritating.

My only refuge was the thought that I didn't have to work again today, which meant that my chances of running into _him_ were slim-to-none. I could just go to class, come home, eat, maybe try drawing a bit again, and go to bed complete free of _him._

I know that sounds mean or whatever, but I was seriously struggling with his confession, and what I needed to sort everything out was time; time away from him and that smirk of his.

I yawned as I got up from my bed and started to get dressed. I'd slept in a little later than usual today because of my late night, so I was in a bit of a rush to get ready and get out the door.

I checked the contents of my backpack to make sure everything was accounted for, which it was, and slipped on my sneakers before heading out the door.

"Good morning, Furihata-kun."

 _How do you do this, Kuroko?_

"Ah, good morning." He got me every time. I was going to go into cardiac arrest one of these days.

"You're a bit later than usual today," Kuroko observed.

"Oh, yeah, I had a long night so I ended up oversleeping a bit," I explained.

"I see. Well then, I won't keep you."

"Thanks! See you later, Kuroko!" I waved and started to turn to leave.

"Oh, just a minute, Furihata-kun," Kuroko suddenly stopped me.

"Yes? Is something the matter?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No, it's just that someone new has moved in this morning, into the apartment next to yours. Perhaps you should stop by and introduce yourself before you leave?" There was a twinkle of something in those normally blank blue eyes of his, and it really should have tipped me off, but I was a naïve boy in a hurry.

"Okay! I'll be sure to do that. Bye!" I waved again and walked away.

 _The apartment next to mine, hm?_

I walked forward a bit and found that the apartment just to the right of mine had its door open and piles of boxes were visible from the doorway.

"Excuse me?" I called, knocking on the open door lightly before taking a step in. "Is anyone home? I'm Furihata Kouki, and I live next door so I thought I'd come and-" My words died in my throat, because suddenly standing before me was that damn smirk, that bright red hair, and those intense red eyes.

"Hello, Kouki," Akashi-san said, taking a step towards me. That smirk of his seemed to grow just then. "Or should I say, _neighbor?_ "

Oh my God.  
You have to be _freaking_ kidding me.

 **A/N:**  
 ***confetti* It is once again 3am, but I've had almost an entire 2-liter bottle of Mountain Dew Voltage, so I'm still chugging along over here.**  
 **Furi is a dork. A precious, naïve little dork.**  
 **Also, I'm on Tumblr constantly, if you want to stop by and chat or be buddies or eat cookies or whatever. It's up to you.**  
 **It's chasingstarfall**  
 **Soooo, I think that's all. Thank you guys so much for reading, it means so much to me, you have no idea. Bye for now!**

 **(Also, Veiled Curiosity, thank you so much for your comment! I might seriously take you up on that one of these days. :) Again, thanks. I appreciate it.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Akashi Seijuuro_**

I was still unsure as to what compelled me to enter that convenience store that night. Some may liken it to destiny or fate or some other ridiculous notion, however I did not put my faith in such things. My entire life I had been taught that there was only one absolute thing that I should put my faith in; myself. A petty thing such as destiny had no hold over me. Which was why I uncertain what it was that drove me to that place, but before I knew it, I was telling my driver to stop and I was walking through the doors of 7-Eleven.

I noticed the emptiness of the store upon entering, but considering how late it was, I didn't find it odd. There was a strange lack of employees, however, which was a little bizarre. I assumed that someone would show up eventually, though, and went about my business; not that I had any particular goal in mind.

I simply felt the need to go there as we were passing by.

I wandered through the store a bit aimlessly, finding myself stopped in front of a large cooler off to the far side of the store that was filled with various kinds of drinks when someone walked out from the restroom. I assumed he was an employee, due to the uniform. He was a rather unassuming man; I could tell even from this distance. His hair was an absolute disaster of tangled brown perched upon his head, and his eyes looked the wrong size for his face. His uniform shirt was sporting a large wet mark on the chest where he had clearly attempted- and failed- to wash out the stain which I assumed was from some sort of beverage. He also looked like he could collapse from lack of sleep at any moment; the dark circles under his eyes were tell-tale signs of his exhaustion. All in all, I found him utterly ordinary, but for some reason I continued to observe him from my spot in the store.

"Welcome to 7-Eleven!" he spoke with false enthusiasm, greeting the man that had just entered. He looked highly suspicious to me, but the employee didn't seemed all too concerned, so I didn't bother speaking up about it. It wasn't any of my business, after all.

I watched from a distance as the man in the hood approached the counter, which the employee had made his way behind. When he reached it, he pulled out what I could only guess was a knife and held it in place, pointed right at the employee's chest. The employee began shaking so violently, I thought he might pass out from fright alone.

"Not a word," he man in the hood said. He demanded that the trembling man empty the register. The employee nodded, and with shaking hands began to reach out towards the register. His eyes were blown wide with fear, and his convulsions were only getting more and more severe. And for reasons unknown, it bothered me.

Like I had said, none of this was my business, but for some reason I began taking a few steps forward from my vantage point and begin to approach them.

"Stop," I found myself saying, feeling a strange and uncalled for rage begin to bubble up inside me. I felt a familiar sting in my left eye.

 _Stay in control,_ I warned myself.

The quivering employee latched his too-big eyes onto me when I spoke, and for some reason the sight of them almost shimmering with unshed tears was only adding to my growing animosity.

"Get out," I ordered.

The man in the hood turned around and sent me a glare, one which I knew I could easily outdo. He gave no signal of moving, and I was fuming; I was not to be ignored. I was not to be disobeyed. Especially not by some good-for-nothing who came in off the street; how _dare_ he defy me.

 _Stay calm._

"I do not like to repeat myself," I warned, stepping towards him. My left eye felt almost like it was on fire. "I said _get out._ " The man in the hood took off, not even bothering to look back, the coward.

The trembling employee all but collapsed against the counter, shielding his face in his hands and breathing rather deeply. I again watched him for a moment, trying to figure out why I had just stuck up for him like I had. He meant nothing to me, and it was unlike me to go out of my way for someone unless I knew they would be of use to me in some way. I had been raised that way, and I was growing irritated at my lack of understanding for my own actions.

I returned to the drink cooler and removed a sports drink, examining it for a moment before deciding to grab another. The burning in my left eye had finally subsided, which I admit I was grateful of.

Drinks in hand, I made my way to the counter where the employee still had their head down and placed my drinks in front of him. He was still shaking ever-so-slightly, and I found a strange concern filling up in my chest at the sight of it.

So I did something I don't think I have ever done before.

"Are you alright?" I inquired, shocked at myself for actually letting the question escape my lips.

He nodded his affirmation- which I could tell was not true in the least; he was clearly in distress- and looked up at me with those large eyes of his.

I felt a jolt in my heart as that flushed face stared up at me, eyes still carrying the tinge of fear in them. Somehow, he looked different to me up-close, and I couldn't help but begin to take in his features. The small upturn of his nose, the slight tremble that still remained in his bottom lip, his red cheeks; all of it. I even glanced down to examine the nametag pinned on his chest. "Furihata," it read.

I looked back up and saw his lips moving, as if he were saying something, but I was so lost in my own little world that no sound was reaching my ears.

"I would like to check out now," I said, finally regaining my focus.

His face twitched with something that resembled irritation, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

"Of course," he responded as he scanned the drinks. "Would you like a bag?" I removed my card from my wallet and handed it over to him.

"That will not be necessary." He swiped my card and passed it back.

I felt like wanted to say something to him, but I was unsure as to what it was. Was I perhaps feeling concern for this "Furihata?" Such a sensation was foreign to me, and I did not know how best to go about taking care of it. I saw the two beverages I had purchased sitting on the counter, and, making a quick decision, grabbed only one and began to depart, sending the cashier a small nod.

He called out to me, halting my footsteps. "You forgot one of your drinks!"

I felt a small tug on the corner of my mouth as I assured him that was not the case. He began to protest, but I interrupted him, the tug on my lips growing stronger.

"That is for you," I said, turning to catch his reaction. He looked utterly confused, mouth hung open and nose crinkled, and I felt a surge of something akin to affection rush through me. "I must be going now," I declared, my face now solidified in a small smirk. "Good night, Furihata."

The red in his cheeks brightened a bit, and I felt incredibly and strangely satisfied by the sight of it.

I turned away from him and finally took my leave, stepping out into the cold night where my driver was diligently waiting for me. I slid in to the backseat of the car and settled down in the cushy leather interior.

"You were gone for quite a while," my driver noted as he began to pull back out into the street. "Did something happen?"

I felt the smirk from before return to my lips and I turned the cold sports drink around in my hands.

"Yes," I replied, "something very interesting has happened. I am keen to see what else may happen in the future."

* * *

I found myself returning to the 7-Eleven again the following night.

I couldn't explain it, but I found something about that Furihata intriguing. When I had first seen him, I had written him off as someone plain and ordinary, but somehow I could not get him out of my head. He had captured my attention, and I felt the need to see him again.

The look on his face when I entered the store was priceless. He looked completely shocked that I had actually returned, and I found the expression to be quite endearing.

I sent him a small nod in response to his stuttered greeting, and walked over to the same cooler of beverages I had been lingering by the previous night. I chose two sports drinks, like I had before. I could suddenly feel the sensation of- what I assumed- were a pair of too-large eyes burning in to the back of my head. I turned my head and sent a glance back in his direction. When our eyes met, his face blossomed in a soft red blush as he quickly looked away, and I could feel that tug on my lips again.

I made my way over to him- he was still looking elsewhere- and set down the drinks on the counter. He looked back in my direction when I told him I was ready to make my purchase. He quickly scanned both beverages and then paused for a moment, as if he was contemplating something.

"U-um," he stuttered, "I just want to thank you for last night." The red in his cheeks deepened ever-so-slightly. "You really saved me… uh…"

"Akashi," I told him. "Akashi Seijuuro."

He looked puzzled for a moment- which was another expression I was coming to enjoy seeing on his face- before looking right into my eyes and thanking me.

My smirk returned. "Think nothing of it."

The small smile he showed me then sent a small spark of something through my chest. He was captivating. Every expression he displayed was so pure and real, and I couldn't believe that I had ever considered this person to be ordinary. I had never seen anything like him in all of my life.

I handed him my card once again, which he quickly swiped.

I wanted to know his name. A simple "Furihata" was not enough for me. I needed to know the identity of this man who had managed to catch the attention of Akashi Seijuuro after only having twice met.

"Well?" I asked him, knowing that he would not catch on to what I was asking about, as I hoped to prompt that confused look of his again.

"E-excuse me?" Ah, there it was.

"I told you my full name," I explained, "so it would only be polite to in turn tell me yours, don't you think?"

That blush of his was possibly one of the loveliest things I had ever seen.

"O-of course! I'm Furihata Kouki."

"Kouki, hm?" I repeated.

He nodded and returned my card to me, which I slipped back into my wallet.

I felt a low hum resonate in my chest, and I picked up one of the two beverages I had purchased, purposefully leaving one behind as I had the night before just to draw out more reactions from him.

He once more tried to stop me and inform me of the item I had abandoned, but he refrained when I in turn informed him that he should have it.

He thanked me- sounding as puzzled as he had before- and I hummed once more in reply as I began to make my way out.

"It was nothing," I said. The automatic doors parted in front of me and I paused just before stepping out. "Good night," I felt the smirk return to my lips, "Kouki."

How I wished I had turned around then to see what kind of reaction he had to that.

* * *

For the remainder of the week, I found myself returning to the store over and over, just to get a chance to draw more expressions and reactions out of him. I wanted to learn everything I could about him.

He had me completely entranced, and I dared not even deny it anymore. Every time I saw his face, no matter the expression, I felt something stir inside me. It was a sensation that was completely foreign, and I could not get enough of it.

Kouki was completely unlike anyone I had ever met before. My whole life, I had been surrounded by cutthroat, deceitful, selfish businessmen; each only with his own self-interest in mind. I myself was much like them. I was trained to excel in all that I did, no matter what it took; by any means necessary. I was absolute, my words were law, and I was unwavering and detached emotionally. Things such as emotions only became weaknesses. But Kouki, he was different. He was passionate; even in the short time I had known him I could tell. He worked hard, and he gave off an air of innocence that was extremely rare to find, especially in the world in which I lived. He was pure, untainted, and so full of life that I couldn't help but desire to observe him as much as I could.

I was inexplicably drawn to him, so every night, I wandered back in to that same store, I bought the same two sports drinks, always leaving one behind for him- to which he still seemed puzzled at each time. When I left, I would always bid him a good night, sometimes catching the small blush that would fill his cheeks. It had become routine for us, and I found myself looking forward to it every day.

When Friday rolled around again, I woke up eager to move on with the day, so I could sooner return to Kouki and the little world of ours I had fashioned, but I should have known that I could not keep up my secret refuge forever.

My father called me in to his office just as I was about to depart from the company for the day.

"Have a seat," he demanded as I entered.

"What is it, Father?" I asked as I sat, thin irritation lining my tone. I wanted to hurry this along.

My father shot me a warning look and lifted a large envelope off of his desk and handed it to me. There was a wary feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I ignored it was I opened the envelope. Inside was a photo of a dark-haired woman clothed in traditional dress. She was lovely enough, I supposed, but my mind couldn't help but compare her to a certain brown-haired someone that I wanted nothing more than to go and see.

"Father, what is this?" I asked.

"She is the daughter of the President of the Yamada Group. I have decided that you will wed her."

The edges of the photo crinkled as I clenched my fists. "Excuse me?" I snapped. I could feel the heat in my left eye, but I didn't care to keep myself in check. Not when my father was proposing something so utterly _ridiculous_.

"You are to wed her to solidify the good relations we have with her family's company." My father's gaze was stern, but I was boiling with so much annoyance at that moment that it barely phased me.

"I refuse," I insisted, standing from my seat and turning to leave.

"This is not a choice, Seijuuro," my father snapped back. "You _will_ marry her."

I stopped just short of the door, knuckles white from how tightly I held my fists. I spun my head to face him, my eye burning with such an intense ferocity that I had never experienced before. My voice was surprisingly calm, but venom dripped from each and every word.

"Like hell I will."

I had never slammed a door with so much force before.

* * *

My body was shaking. I was so furious I could hardly breathe. My left eye felt like fire, and I was sending glares to anyone who dared get in my way. Never in my life had I felt so completely livid.

I had refused my driver's offer of a ride, deciding instead to walk to the convenience store that night, hoping maybe the cool air would help be regain my composure. I wanted to see him; I _needed_ to see him. I had a feeling that Kouki would be the only one who could help me calm down, whether he realized it or not.

He was obviously insecure and somehow completely unaware of the effect he had on me. I couldn't explain it myself, but he was becoming a bigger part of my life each and every day. And right now, all I wanted was to see him and step back in to that world where he and I existed together.

The last thing I intended to do when I walked in the door was kiss him, but the moment I saw his face, a small smile lighting it up as he greeted me, I was so completely overwhelmed by emotion- a feeling so completely strange and new to me- that I could stop myself.

My trembling hands steadied and secured themselves on his arms, and my left eye continued to burn, only now it felt different to me. It wasn't the burn of anger, but rather of something else I had yet to find a proper definition for. I pulled him in close to me, and the moment my lips smashed against his, I felt it. This was the same burn as the one I was feeling in my eye, only it started in my lips and filtered down until it filled my entire chest. This was what complete and utter adoration felt like.

Unfortunately, this epiphany of mine was rather short lived, because the blushing boy in my arms suddenly went limp. I couldn't contain the small chuckle that escaped my lips when I realized he had passed out. My Kouki really was something else. I tightened my grip on his arms a bit to make sure he didn't fall, and I leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"This is going to be fun, _Kouki."_

* * *

As much as I wished I could have been able to stay with Kouki until he awoke, I decided to leave him in the care of this manager, who had walked in shortly after Kouki had lost consciousness. I explained to him that Kouki had passed out, spinning with some falsehood about how it was due to lack of sleep, which could have been a conceivable reason. The manager seemed to accept it, and mentioned briefly that he would be able to catch up on his rest since he did not have to go in to work the day after next, a comment which I took careful note of.

After making sure Kouki was alright, I bid farewell and set off towards home. I had many things which I needed to sort out, namely these newly discovered feelings. I had somehow fallen for him in such a short amount of time, which was something I had never considered possible for myself. I had been trained that such feelings were forbidden, but Kouki had captured me, heart and soul, and I had no intention of letting him slip through my fingers. He was the first person I had ever felt anything even resembling affection towards, excluding my late mother. Honestly, I did not know exactly how to go about courting him, and for the first time in my life I felt as though something would actually prove to be a challenge for me.

And that was the reason I found it all so aggravating and so thrilling all at the same time, but I had a feeling Kouki was worth it.

I felt a small smile curl up the edges of my mouth and I slipped my phone out of my pocket. I pressed a few buttons and held it up to my ear as it started to ring.  
"Hello?" I said once the person on the other end had picked up. "It's Seijuuro. I need you to look someone up for me. Yes. Their name is Furihata Kouki."

* * *

I had arrived in the park a bit earlier than I had intended too. I held my phone tightly in my hand before taking a breath and selecting Kouki's name on the screen. The phone rang and rang, but he did not answer. I felt annoyed at that. Kouki or not, when it is I that is calling, being ignored is not acceptable. Slightly aggravated, I tried a few more times without answer. One final time I tried, satisfied when a sleepy voice answered.

 _"What?"_ Kouki said, sounding a little irritated himself. Well, you should have answered my call the first time, Kouki.

"Kouki," I greeted him. I could imagine him freaking out on the other end when he realized who had called, an image I found rather amusing.

 _"A-Akashi-san?!"_ he stuttered. _"H-how did you get my number?"_

I snorted at the question. "I have my ways, Kouki."

Kouki then started babbling on and on, completely in utter nonsense. As amusing as I thought it was, I had business to get down to.

"Kouki," I interrupted him.

 _"Yes?"_

"Meet me in the park in 25 minutes," I instructed.

 _"Excuse me?"_ I heard him say, but instead of responding, I hung up the phone.

I had not specified the exact park I intended to meet him at, but I was well aware of that. Had he answered my call the first time, perhaps he would have gotten more information. Teasing him really would never get old to me.

However, as time passed, I found myself growing irritated that he had not yet arrived. When half an hour had come and gone, I was starting to become slightly concerned, not that I would admit that to anyone. I definitely was glad when I saw a tangled mess of brown hair coming my direction. Had I been a lesser man, I would have released a sigh of relief and perhaps even waved as he approached.

My left eye warmed with the same pleasant burn as before as I took in his lanky form running towards me, which I found odd. Usually it never happened unless I was angered on under great stress. In such a short time, Kouki had already begun to change me, I could feel it.

I decided to keep on teasing him as he began to draw near, and I formed my face into a look I'm sure he would take as condescending. I was positive this encounter would draw out so many kinds of interesting reactions from him.

He reached me a few moments later, his faced flushed and skin shining with a thin layer of sweat and he stopped to catch his breath.

"You're late," I said.

"Uh," he began nervously, "I wasn't sure exactly which park you meant so…"

I gave him a small "humph" in response. His eyes widened a bit at that, as though startled. His reactions were too wonderful.

I let my eyes wander across his body, taking everything in. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and a pair of jeans; clearly not appropriate for what I had in mind. His hair was also much messier than normal, I noted. He hadn't even tried to make himself look like he hadn't just rolled out of bed for our outing together, which perturbed me a bit.

"What are you wearing?" I asked him.

He looked at me with those big, confused eyes. "Huh?"

My eyes narrowed and I sent him a soft glare, nothing compared to what I was truly capable of though. "I don't like to repeat myself," I stated. Which was indeed true.

"A t-shirt?"

You should know better than to answer me like that, Kouki.

I added a little more fire to my gaze and I saw him shrink back a bit. "Is this what you always wear on dates, Kouki?"

It was difficult even for me to conceal the amusement I felt when I saw his face. His eyes widened, becoming impossibly larger, and his mouth was flapping between open and close as he tried to form a response.

"What?" he finally got out.

I, as always, ignored his meaningless questions. "We must find you an appropriate outfit," I said.

"But-"

I silenced him once I grasped his warm hand in mine, ignoring the ping in my chest at the contact. He followed behind me willingly, but the confused and shocked look never left his face.

* * *

There had been very few times in my life where I found myself unable to speak; I always had some sort of retort or comment ready with ease.

But when Kouki exited that dressing room, I could not find any words.

He looked stunning. The suit I had selected for him was a dark gray that complimented his skin tone very well, and it hugged the subtle curves of his body in just the right way. The emerald green of the button up really brought out his eyes; they looked so unbelievably bright just then. The white silk tie I chose to complete the outfit hung untied around his neck; clearly he had been uncertain how to tie it properly.

I stared at him, feeling so much adoration for him that I felt myself wishing this moment to end. I wanted him to stay with me, like this, forever, looking confident and captivating, but still glancing up at me so shyly. I had fallen for him impossibly hard.

"Kouki," I finally managed to say, though my voice was much softer than normal.

I felt myself being drawn to him, like a magnetic force was pulling us together. He blushed at the sudden closeness, and this time I couldn't stop the fond chuckle from leaving my lips.

"You're hopeless," I said quietly, grabbing the hanging ends of the tie and tying it up neatly. I felt a smirk form on my face as I took in the completed look.

Absolutely stunning.

"We'll take it," I decided, speaking to the clerk that I knew was nearby.

"Of course," he replied, helping to get us ready to check out.

Kouki was shocked by the price, and I could tell he wanted to protest but I would have none of that. I insisted on purchasing it for him, and I also ordered that he wear it out of the store. I had bought it for him for a reason, after all.

I took his hand once more- beginning to enjoy the feeling of our fingers intertwined- and began to lead him off in the direction of our final destination.

* * *

If I had thought the sight of Kouki coming out of that dressing room in his suit was stunning, the vision of him sitting across from me at a small table- the light from the candles illuminating his face in just the right way and making his eyes shine- was nothing short of beautiful.

He looked nervous and confused, especially when he picked up his menu and attempted to read the names of the French dishes. He looked completely relieved when I offered to order for him, which I did. When the waiter had left, my eyes wandered back to Kouki, catching him staring at me, eyebrows furrowed as if he was thinking very hard about something. I smirked back at him.

"Who are you?" he asked. Although it was uttered so quietly, I was sure it was not his intention to actually ask.

However, I was going to respond despite that.

"Akashi Seijuuro, I already told you that, Kouki."

His face bloomed red. I was right, he had not meant to speak up like he had.

"But," he continued, "the suit, this restaurant, all of it, this must be costing you a ton of money. I mean, how could any normal guy off the street that frequents a 7-Eleven in the middle of the night afford something like this?"

Now, this question did catch me off guard. Was it possible Kouki had yet to realize who I was? I had assumed that most everyone knew the Akashi name and would recognize me almost immediately.

"You honestly don't realize who I am?"

He stared me down, and I could practically see the gears in his mind struggling to get themselves turning. His eyes trailed across my face, and I actually enjoyed having so much of his attention focused on me. Suddenly, his eyes widened and I could tell that he had just realized. It was yet another lovely reaction from him.

"Wait, are you telling me you're _that_ Akashi Seijuuro?" he asked, still looking completely shocked. "'Heir to the Akashi Corporation and filthy rich,' Akashi Seijuuro?"

I chuckled and allowed a small smile to appear on my face. He really was too cute. "You really didn't know? Oh, Kouki, you never cease to surprise me."

He blushed at that, and my fondness for him only deepened at the sight.

"What would _the_ Akashi Seijuuro want with _me_ of all people?" Again, I could tell he hadn't meant to ask it, but still I didn't care and chose to answer.

"Isn't that obvious?"

The look on his face told me that it wasn't. "Uh, no, not really," he confirmed.

This was the moment. I had secretly been hoping that this opportunity would present itself sometime tonight. I leaned forward, placing my elbows on the table, and I felt the small, pleasant burn appear once more in my left eye.

"I am besotted with you, Kouki," I admitted, "and I intend to make you mine."

The waiter caught him before he hit the floor, for which I was grateful.

Oh, Kouki, you really, really were something else.

* * *

When I finally returned to the estate that night, I was more than satisfied with how things had turned out. Sure, not everything had gone perfect, but Kouki had allowed me to at least walk him back to the park where we had met up, and I managed to give him a small kiss on the forehead before bidding him farewell. I was actually feeling something close to happiness when I left, which was unprecedented for me.

However, upon returning home, my father ambushed me and insisted that we continue the discussion we had begun a few days previous, namely the issue of my so called "engagement." I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it, or him, and refused to listen.

"Seijuuro!" he snapped. "As long as you remain under this roof and are dependent on me, you _will_ listen to what I have to say."

I curled up my fists and held them firmly at my side. Of course he managed to ruin my pleasant night.

"Well then," I retorted, "perhaps I will just have to find elsewhere to reside."

That silenced him rather quickly.

"You wouldn't dare," he said finally.

"Just watch me."

"Seijuuro! If you step one foot out of this house, you will regret it."

I sighed, looking up at him with burning eyes. "Do what you will," I replied harshly. "Frankly, I don't give a damn."

I turned and left him without looking back. He might not have taken my seriously, but I had every intention of carrying out my threat of leaving.

I had almost returned to my room when my phone began to buzz, signaling an incoming call. I held it in my hand and looked down to see it was that was calling.  
I smirked a bit and answered.

"Hello, Tetsuya."

* * *

I had known Tetsuya for many years, and he was one of the only people I would ever consider calling a friend. I would occasionally confide in him when I felt the need, but it was not often. In fact, I never really had to say anything for him to understand exactly what I was thinking or feeling. He was incredibly perceptive.

For example, he had already figured out my feelings for Kouki, and although I would have liked to, I found it difficult to deny him an explanation.

I told him of Kouki and how we had met, I even mentioned the events that had just taken place. I even went so far as to discussing my father's demand for my engagement and how I had threatened to leave his estate if he did not give it up. It was then that Tetsuya mentioned something interesting.

"If you really are considering leaving," he said, "there is an empty apartment just a few doors down from mine. Perhaps you should look in to that."

I considered it for a moment, but I wasn't sure whether or not I would really follow through with my threat.

"Akashi-kun," Tetsuya urged, a strange tone present in his voice as if he was trying to tell me something without actually saying it, "I would really think about it. It's a very nice apartment complex, and I guarantee you'll love the neighbors."

At that time, I had no idea just how right he would be about that.

I owed Tetsuya a very, very big favor.

 **A/N: This chapter turned out absolutely nothing like I meant for it to.**  
 **Honestly, I'm not too happy with it, but I've written it about 3 times now and I just need to move on with my life.**  
 **So, I apologize that it's kind of weird and awkward and Akashi is kind of OOC a bit, but I tried my best so don't hate meeee.**  
 **Anyway, I super appreciate you guys for taking the time to read this and commenting and favoriting and following and such. It means bunches too me.**  
 **Again, I tumble at chasingstarfall if you guys want to drop by. You're welcome to ask me things about this awkward fic, or really anything. I'm always up for a chat.**  
 **Thank you guys again! Next chapter will be back in the mind of Furi (which I can wrap my own mind around much easier), and should be much more exciting and entertaining. Bye bye for now!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Furihata Kouki**_

"Furi, that's the fourth one. Are you feeling alright?"

I looked down at the splintered remains of the pencil I had just snapped in half with my hand. I sighed and dropped the pieces onto the table along with my three previous victims.

I was definitely _not_ feeling alright. As for the reason why… let's just say it wasn't something I was quite ready to discuss with Fukuda and Kawahara.

It wasn't that I didn't trust them; out of everyone I knew, I probably trusted them the most. But even so, how exactly were you supposed to tell your best friends that you had been confessed to by the filthy rich _male_ heir to one of the largest companies in the country? Not to mention that said rich _male_ heir had for some reason moved into the apartment next door? It wasn't exactly something that you brought up in casual conversation. You couldn't just be like "oh hey, how did your math test go? By the way Akashi Seijuuro moved in next door and is apparently in love with me. Are you going to eat that sandwich?" No, no. I definitely couldn't do that.

So I had begun to take out my frustrations on poor, defenseless pencils.

I smiled softly at Fukuda who was sitting across from me at the table, and I was trying to be as convincing as possible. "Y-yeah. I'm fine."

Since I'm a crappy liar, he didn't seem like he really believed me, but he didn't press it.

"Furi," Kawahara spoke up from beside me, "are you going to eat that?"

He gestured to the lunch lying untouched before me. I was so emotionally stressed, I didn't have much of an appetite.

I shook my head and he gladly slid the box from in front of me.

"How's the drawing going?" Fukuda asked as I took yet another pencil out of my bag.

I frowned a bit at the question.

Since I couldn't get myself to eat, I had spent most of my lunch break doodling in my sketchbook, trying to get something, _anything_ done. Everything just turned into the same rounded shape I had drawn the other day. Something about it was bugging me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.

"It's not going too great right now," I admitted.

"Maybe you just need some inspiration," Kawahara suggested, swallowing a large clump of rice.

"He's got a point," Fukuda agreed. "Maybe you should try sitting outside and taking in the scenery? Nothing is more inspiring than nature."

I nodded. Maybe they were right. I'd have to give that a try. "Thanks, guys." I smiled, sincere this time, and my grin was quickly returned by them both.

I glanced down at my watch and noticed the time. "I've got to get to class," I muttered, slipping my belongings into my bag.

"See you later!" Kawahara called as I stood and began to take my leave. "And thanks for the food!"

"Bye, Furi," Fukuda said with a wave. I waved back and started to walk away. "Oh, and Furi?" I turned around to face him. "Whatever it is that's going on, we're here for you, okay? You don't have to be afraid to tell us. We've got your back, no matter what. Don't forget that, got it?" Kawahara nodded in agreement with Fukuda's statement.

How in the world did I manage to find such amazing friends?

"Got it," I assured them with another small smile. "See you guys later."

I would tell them. Soon. But not yet. I still wasn't quite ready yet. I did feel like I needed to talk about what was going on with somebody, but who?

Lightbulb.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and quickly tapped out a message.

 **From: Me**  
 **To: Kuroko**  
 _hey are u guys busy later? Is it ok if I drop by if youre free? [Sent 12:53]_

I slipped my phone back and continued on towards my class. I had just settled down in my seat and started emptying my backpack when I felt it buzz.

 **From: Kuroko**  
 **To: Me**  
 _Sure. How about around 6? [Sent 12:56]_

 **From: Me**  
 **To: Kuroko**  
 _sounds good. see u then [Sent 12:57]_

I didn't know why I hadn't thought of this before. They were the perfect people to talk about my… problem with. You know, considering they were… anyway, I'm sure they wouldn't mind hearing me out and maybe giving me some advice or something.

Kouki, you are a genius.

* * *

I was such an idiot. I had been so excited about getting the chance to finally vent some of these frustrations I was feeling that I forgot one teeny, tiny little detail.

He would most likely be there when I got back. I still hadn't quite recovered from the incident this morning, and I just wasn't ready to deal with him yet.

I mean, it wasn't like he was a bad guy; sure, he was terrifying and sometimes demanding and stole the chastity of my lips without my consent, but there were moments when he seemed… different I guess. Like when I had come out of the dressing room in the suit he had picked out for me. Or when he had taken me to that restaurant and told me of his feelings. Or when we parted at the park and he managed to plant one on my forehead. Each of those times, he had looked at me with such a- dare I say- loving expression, that even just thinking of it now made me shiver a bit.

I really didn't get it. Why was I suddenly thinking about him like that? He was basically a stalker, for God's sake. Not to mention he was a _man,_ and not just any man, he was _Akashi Seijuuro._ He was rich and successful and everything I could never imagine being, and truth be told I was a little jealous of him.

Was that where this animosity I was feeling towards him came from?

That was what this feeling was, wasn't it? That's why I didn't want to see him. It definitely wasn't the fact that sometimes he could make me blush or make my heart race or anything like that. Surely not.

I didn't want to see him.

I checked the time on my watch and noticed that I still had a bit of time before I was supposed to meet Kuroko, so I decided to plop myself down on a bench and take in the scenery, like Fukuda had suggested.

The sky was beginning to change color with the oncoming nightfall. Sunset was such a beautiful time of day. There were so many colors, all swirled together and streaked across the sky; it reminded me of a paint palette. I suddenly found myself itching to create something. Fukuda had been right, nature really was inspiring.

I pulled my sketchbook out of my bag along with a set of oil pastels. I looked up into the sky, which was growing more and more vibrant by the minute, and let my fingers go to work. They smoothly brushed across the page, coating it in smears of pink and red and orange and gold, swirling together and mixing just above the horizon.

The colors of the sunset vaguely reminded me of something that prickled in the back of my mind, but I ignored whatever it was. I hadn't felt so inspired in such a long time that I didn't want to think about anything else but the art before and above me.

If I had to define my style or art, I would say it had sort of a Van Gogh-esque quality to it. I was a huge fan of the Post-Impressionist era, and out of all it his artwork probably inspired me the most. His expert command of color always fascinated me, and I found all of his works to be so incredibly, breathtakingly beautiful. I was definitely a huge nerd for his stuff.

I smudged together the red and orange in a swirling motion in one part of the sky, and found myself doing the same with the orange and gold in another. It was an explosion of color, the sky perfectly melding in to the place where it met the earth, which I had made a smooth combination of green and brown. My fingers were moving on their own, just gliding and dancing across the page leaving streaks of color in their wake. I hadn't created like this is so, so long and it felt amazing.

With one final slide of my finger, it was finished.

And I couldn't believe it.

It was beautiful, even I would admit, but it was just so… _wrong._

How did my drawing of the sunset turn into Akashi Seijuuro's mismatched eyes?

It wasn't incredibly noticeable, I'm sure if you didn't know you would miss it, but there was no way in hell that I could. I could hardly believe it, but there they were, hidden in the swirls of red and gold and looking up at me with that same loving expression they had the night before. But why? _How?_ I didn't understand.

And I was scared to.

* * *

I, thankfully, managed to avoid Akashi-san when I returned back to the apartment complex, though I had a feeling he knew I was there. I guarantee he had some sort of "Kouki sense" or something. How else could he have known where I lived? It was too uncanny for him to just "show up" next door. He had to have known something. He had to.

I took a quick glance in both directions, just to make sure he wasn't lurking around somewhere, and tapped my knuckles against the door of Kuroko and Kagami's apartment. I heard the doorknob turning and then I was suddenly face-to-face- although, face-to-chest might have been more accurate- with a huge man.

"Hey, Furi," he greeted. "Kuroko said you'd be stopping by. Come on in."

"Thanks, Kagami," I replied, shifting my gaze upward to catch his face.

Kagami was a deceivingly kind person, which is something you'd never guess just from his appearance. First of all, he was huge, and not just in a height kind of way either; he was also very well built. He also had a permanent almost-glare on his face- which I had thought was the most intimidating one I had ever seen until just recently. He could be kind of intense sometimes, but Kuroko had a way of keeping him in check. Seriously, sometimes Kuroko scared me more than Kagami did.

I stepped through the door and removed my shoes. The layout of their apartment was very similar to mine, only theirs was much more… domestic, I guess? There was just something about it that seemed really couple-y to me. It was definitely a lot cleaner and more organized than mine was, that was for sure.

"Hello, Furihata-kun," a voice said suddenly from seemingly nowhere.

If I had jumped any higher, Kagami might have had to catch me so I didn't kill myself when I came back down.

"Damn it, Kuroko!" Kagami yelled, obviously startled by the blue-haired man's abrupt appearance as well. "I told you not to jump out like that!"

"But I was standing here the whole time," Kuroko replied in his usual calm tone.

Kagami lightly hit him on the top of his head. "Whatever," he said, and I caught sight of the small smile on his lips. "Just don't do it anymore."

I chuckled softly at their antics. They really did make a nice couple.

"So, Furi," Kagami said, finally turning away from a slightly grinning Kuroko, "have you eaten yet?"

"No, actually," I replied. "I haven't."

"I made curry for dinner," he explained, "and there's a ton left. You want some?"

I tried not to start drooling. Kagami's curry could make full-grown men weep, it was so good.

"Yes, please!"

He nodded and headed off in to the kitchen.

"Come sit, Furihata-kun," Kuroko suggested, leading me towards the dinner table. He took the seat opposite me and started me down with those blank eyes of his. Chills.

"You've come to talk about Akashi-kun," he stated, not a single hint of question in his voice. He knew.

"Bu- I- You- He- Huh?" I managed, intelligently as always.

Kagami returned and set a warm plate of curry down in front of me before taking a seat next to Kuroko. I just stared at them, waiting for something, anything that would explain what was going on here.

"I guess now would be as good a time as any to tell you," Kuroko said finally. "I am well acquainted with Akashi-kun."

"But how?"

"Eat," Kagami demanded. "He'll tell you the whole thing."

I nodded and spooned a bit of the curry into my mouth and good _God_ it was tasty.

"Akashi-kun and I met a few years ago," Kuroko explained. "He was my kouhai in middle school-"

I almost did a spit take of the bite I had just taken.

"Did you say kouhai?" I asked once I had managed to swallow the food. Kuroko and I were the same age so… "You mean he's _younger_ than us?"

Kuroko nodded.

"How much younger?"

"He's 18 now, but I think his birthday is in a few months."

Oh. My. God.

Not only was he infinitely more successful than I was, stupid wealthy, (admittedly) attractive, had stolen my first kiss from me, had made me think weird thoughts about him and make me subconsciously draw his eyes in my sunset, he was also almost _two years younger_ than I was.

It might not seem like a big deal to most, but to me, it was a big blow to my pride.

This had to be a joke.

"It's not a joke. I can't joke very well," Kuroko replied to the question I had apparently said aloud, which was _definitely_ becoming a problem for me.

"This is crazy," I said, leaning back in my chair and abandoning my meal. My appetite had suddenly left me again. "So you've known him a while then?"

Kuroko nodded in reply. "I have, and you are the first person he has ever been like this with."

I definitely did not blush at that. "W-what do you mean?"

"He talks about you often," Kuroko explained. "I have never heard him talk about someone like he talks about you."

"So, you guys talk about me?" That kinda freaked me out a little, honestly.

Kuroko's lips twitched every-so-slightly into a miniscule smirk. "I knew of his feelings for you before you did. Maybe even before he did."

I just sat there with my mouth hanging open, which seemed to be becoming a more and more common pose for me these days.

Kagami suddenly cleared his throat and sent Kuroko a pointed look, which Kuroko adamantly ignored.

"Kuroko," Kagami warned, "you better tell him everything."

"I don't know what you mean, Kagami-kun."

 _"Kuroko."_

"What _do_ you mean?" I interjected. Kagami's gaze flickered to me before going back to the man beside him.

"Akashi moving in wasn't just some kind of freak coincidence. _Someone_ tipped him off that there was a vacancy, and that it would be worth his while to check it out," Kagami finally explained, still giving Kuroko a look.

"…Kuroko?" I started.

"I was just helping out a friend," was his response.

I let out a long groan and slammed my head down onto the table, being wary of the position of my unfinished plate of curry so I didn't end up with a face-full of it.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered into the table, though the sound was heavily muffled by the wood.

"Kuroko is actually evil," Kagami said. "He looks all cute and innocent, but he's got a devious little mind in that blue head of his."

"This is too much," I sighed. Although I should have guessed that it was something like this. I knew there had to have been no way that he could've tracked me down on his own. I whipped my head up from the table. "Wait," I asked, "does this mean you're the one who gave him my phone number, too?"

Kuroko shook his head. "No. I'm guessing he used some other source for that."

Well at least he hadn't sold me out _completely._

"I still can't believe this," I mumbled, taking in a couple big breaths. "I think I should probably get back to my apartment…"

"Look what you did, Kuroko! You scared him off!" Kagami scolded.

"No," I explained, "it's okay. I'm just tired. And I have a lot of… things to sort out." I sent them both a weak smile. "I'll see you guys later." I stood up from the table and went to leave. "Thanks for the food."

I closed the door behind me as I walked out.

So much for getting a chance to vent my frustrations.

* * *

It wasn't like I was _angry_ at Kuroko. I really wasn't. I was just surprised and a little confused as to why he would do something like tell Akashi-san to move in. Knowing Kuroko, he probably has some super secret plan or reason behind it, but I had never known he was that devious.

I was the tiniest bit impressed by it.

But that was mostly hidden under the irritation I was feeling. This day had gone absolutely nothing like I had hoped it would. From Akashi-san moving, to that drawing I had created, to finding out Kuroko was actually an evil mastermind; everything was crazy. All I wanted now was just to curl up in my bed and try to get as much sleep as possible. I had to go back to work tomorrow, and I knew sleep was going to become scarce for the rest of the week.

However, since apparently the entire universe hates me, my plans came to a screeching halt literally five seconds after I had laid down.

I grabbed the buzzing phone off of the nightstand where I had put it and sleepy glanced at the screen. No, no, no. Please be dreaming. Please tell me that Akashi-san hadn't just sent me a message.

How did he always catch me right as I was going to sleep?

I groaned and slid my finger across the screen and pulled up the message.

 **From: Stalker**  
 **To: Me**  
 _Hello, Kouki. [Sent 9:17]_

I was not dealing with this right now. I set my phone down and closed my eyes. It buzzed again.

 **From: Stalker**  
 **To: Me**  
 _I know you're there, Kouki. [Sent 9:19]_

 **From: Stalker**  
 **To: Me**  
 _Do not ignore me. [Sent 9:19]_

 **From: Stalker**  
 **To: Me**  
 _If you do not answer, I will come over there myself. [Sent 9:20]_

 **From: Stalker**  
 **To: Me**  
 _Fine. Here I come, then. [Sent 9:21]_

I don't think I've ever typed out a message so fast in my entire life.

 **From: Me**  
 **To: Stalker**  
 _no no no no dont come over sorry i was in the bathroom [Sent 9:21]_

It was a lame excuse which I was positive he wasn't going to buy, but it was the best I could come up with in such a short amount of time.

 **From: Me**  
 **To: Stalker**  
 _did u need something? [Sent 9:22]_

There was a short pause and I thought for a moment that I was off the hook, but nope, it went started a-buzzing once again.

 **From: Stalker**  
 **To: Me**  
 _No. Never mind. Good night, Kouki. [Sent 9:24]_

I went to set my phone down but it went off _yet again._

 **From: Stalker**  
 **To: Me**  
 _Also_ , _I would not lie to me in the future. Moreover, your grammar is horrendous. That is all. [Sent 9:25]_

Yep. He was just as scary as before. How did I keep convincing myself otherwise?

* * *

Class the next day was rather uneventful. Like disgustingly boring. I found myself napping more than once throughout the day. Which I had no problem with. I had to work all night and I was going to squeeze in as much rest as humanly possible before then.

From the moment my shift started, the only thing on my mind was whether or not _he_ was coming tonight. And if he was, _when?_ Thankfully, my uncontrollable paranoia helped keep me distracted- and awake- most of the night, and before I knew it, my shift was just about up. And there was still no sign of him. Maybe today wasn't so bad after all.

I was just about to head into the back and gather my things to leave when I caught sight of an unforgettable head of red hair coming down the sidewalk, getting closer and closer with each passing second. I wasted precious time frozen in fear, but I made up for it with my mad dash out from behind the counter. I honestly don't think I've ever moved that fast before as long as I've been alive.

I sprinted into the back of the store and grabbed all of my belongings as quickly as I could. Maybe, if I was really, really lucky, I could somehow sneak past him and make it out before he even knew I was gone. I knew I was definitely overestimating my escape skills, and probably grossly _under_ estimating his observation skills, but it was worth a try. I wasn't going down without a fight.

I peeked my head out into the store to get a lookout, and I found it strangely empty. Had he not arrived yet? Or maybe he came in, saw I wasn't there, and then left? Maybe that last bit was wishful thinking, but I didn't have time to just sit around a wait all night to see if he showed up or not. I had sleeping to do, dang it.

I gave the store a final once-over, and when I deemed it safe, I took of out of my hiding spot and bolted to the door. The cold air stung my face as I exited the warmth of the store, but I didn't care because I was _successful!_ I couldn't keep the grin from my face as I gloated to myself about my great achievement.

That was until I passed the small alleyway next to the store and suddenly found myself unable to move.

It was definitely him, I could tell even from behind. He was hunkered down near the ground and seemed to be doing something with his hands. I felt myself inch a bit closer to see what was going on. Curiosity killed the cat, they say.

Speaking of cats, the one I had just caught sight of curled underneath Akashi-san's hand as he gently stroked it was incredibly small. It could probably fit in the palm of his hand, if he picked it up. Which he did. And then he was standing. And turning around. And there was that smirk.

"Kouki," he said as he cradled the kitten closer to his chest.

"H-Hello, Akashi-san…"

The kitten mewled and curled up snugly between Akashi-san's chest and his hand.

"It appears to have been abandoned," he explained, petting it gently with his fingers. "I seem to have a soft spot for small, cute, defenseless things." He looked down at the small animal with a surprisingly fond look on his face. He then glanced up at me, but the fond look did not falter. I felt my face heat up just a bit. "The apartment complex allows small animals, does it not?"

"Huh?"

"I intend to take this animal back to the apartment," he explained.

What was this, a scene from a Shoujo manga?

"Yeah," I answered. "Small pets are okay."

He smiled then. Like full on smile. With _teeth_. And I was surprisingly blown away by it.

No. No, no, I wasn't. I was cold and tired and needed to go home and sleep.

"Good," Akashi-san said, relief lining his tone. "Shall we go then? We are headed to the same destination, after all."

I couldn't really argue with that one.

The walk back to the apartment was surprisingly… nice. Neither of us said anything, the only sounds being the clacking of our shoes against the pavement and the occasional purr from the small cat still cradled so carefully in Akashi-san's arms. I never imagined he could be so gentle. This was a completely new side to him, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't find it the teensiest bit intriguing. Not that I'd tell him that, of course. He'd probably take it as a confession or something. Which it wasn't.

We arrived at the apartment complex in no time, and since Akashi-san's apartment was (slightly) closer, we stopped at his first. Not that I had any reason to stop, I mean, mine was right next door, but I was trying to be polite.

He managed to fish his key out of his pocket with one hand, as the other was still occupied by a now sleeping kitten. He swiftly unlocked the door and wished me a soft good night before stepping inside and closing the door behind him. Which was something I found to be a bit interesting. I had half expected him to grab me and try to plant another kiss on me or something before he left, but he didn't. It wasn't like I was hoping he would, it was just odd to me that he hadn't is all.

I decided that I was probably thinking about things too much again- as I had a tendency to do when _he_ was concerned- and took the few steps down the hall required to reach my front door. And that was when I realized. I was in such a hurry to get out of the store before he caught me- a plan which had clearly failed epically- that I had forgotten to grab my keys when I picked up my things. I was locked out of my apartment.

Universe, what did I ever do to you?

I tried calling the landlord, but he didn't answer; it was pretty late, after all. I also tried calling Kuroko and Kagami, and when they didn't answer either, I even went and knocked on their door in person. Nothing. I knew I only really had one option left, but I was dreading it so very much.

With a deep sigh (and a small prayer), a lightly knocked on the door of the one person in the entire world that I actually wished wouldn't answer. But of course, he did. With that damn smirk.

"Kouki," he greeted, "it's barely been ten minutes. Did you really miss me that much?"

He was _younger_ than me, why in the world was I so intimidated right now?

"I'm locked out of my apartment," I started. Crap, I was shaking. Pull it together, Kouki. "I've tried everyone else I can think of, but no one is answering so…"

"So…?" he urged.

"C-could I s-stay with you tonight?" Just kill me now.

"Why, Kouki, how forward of you," he teased. "But who would I be to turn down such a request?" Akashi-san took a step to the side to give me space to enter. "You are most welcome."

"T-thank you," I mumbled, hanging my head and stepping through the doorway.

The moment I heard that door click closed behind me, I knew I was doomed.

I had a feeling I had just walked straight into the lion's den.

 **A/N: Aaaand, we're back!**  
 **Can I just take a moment to say that you guys are all so incredibly amazing? Seriously, I'm in awe. All of your sweet comments really meant a lot to me, and I just can't thank you guys enough. I guarantee you're the best readers out there. Hands down. I'm inspired to keep writing because of all your support, so thank you so, so much. :)**  
 **Also, someone mentioned to me that I should make a tag for this on Tumblr. I don't know what you would tag to it, or if anyone even would want to tag anything to it, but I'm keeping my eye on the tag** ** _fic: for your convenience_** **so have at it.**  
 **You guys know my Tumblr already, so I won't mention it. Anyway, I think that's all my mind has for now. Again, thank you guys so much. I would give you all cookies and hugs if I could. See you all soon. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

For a moment, I seriously considered turning myself right around and sleeping in the hallway, but I knew that I would never escape now that I had willingly passed through the doorway. There was no going back. No retreat. I was behind enemy lines with no escape.

I had had many a bad idea in my life, but this one just about topped them all. Except for maybe the time that I had decided that firing a paintball gun at a blank canvas sounded like a great art project, but had such horrendous aim that I ended up hitting more wall than canvas and my mother almost skinned me alive.

"Come in," Akashi-san encouraged with a smirk as he continued further on into the apartment.

Actually, no. This idea was worse.

"Sorry for the intrusion…" I mumbled, slipping off my shoes and setting them just inside the door.

I followed Akashi-san in; keeping my distance, just in case. Since I was there- and also had no intention of ever, _ever_ being there again if I could help it- I decided to take a look around, just out of curiosity.

It was surprisingly simple, but then again he had just moved in so it was possible that he was planning on doing more. The living room area was pretty much empty, except for a small table and a chair or two. There were a few knick-knacks here and there, but not really anything worth mentioning. I had honestly expected something a lot more luxurious, considering who he was. I did notice a violin vase perched against the wall, however, which was something I found a bit intriguing.

"Do you play?" The question slipped out before I realized what I was doing.

"Yes," Akashi-san replied, making his way over to the instrument and touching the top of the case gingerly. "I am well versed in many of the arts; a requirement of my father's since I was a small boy."

I nodded in understanding, replying with a small hum.

I still felt horribly out of place, but slightly more comfortable. Slightly. I was still very much on edge, ready to defend myself if the situation called for it. I didn't know what I was going to do in my sleep, but I chose to not think about that for the time being.

I heard a soft meow come from somewhere below and looked down to see the small kitten lingering by Akashi-san's feet. She rubbed her head against his leg affectionately, and I'll admit I found the scene to be rather cute. I couldn't keep the small smile from my face.

"She seems to have taken a liking to you," I said casually. Any attempt at conversation was much better than the horribly awkward silence that would be the alternative.

"It would appear so," he replied, bending down to rub her head. She leaned in to the touch.

I was getting way too worked up over the smile that appeared on his face as he slid his fingers across her dark fur.

Right now he looked so… gentle. I couldn't tear my eyes away. The tense atmosphere I had felt when I came in- which had been mostly of my own creation, I'll admit- had begun to slowly melt away, and I was captivated by the sight before me. This Akashi-san was not the Akashi-san I knew. Maybe, just maybe, getting to know this Akashi-san a little better wouldn't be so bad.

I knew he had caught me staring when his red eyes locked on to mine and that smile of his was replaced this the smirk I had begun to loathe. He was back to his normal arrogant self, which for some reason I found to be a little disappointing.

"I believe she will need a name, since I have decided to keep her," he said.

My face was heating up much more quickly than I would have liked. "Y-yes," I agreed, "she will."

"Do you have any suggestions?"

I stared at him- I mean, at the cat he had lifted near his face, for a few moments. She was so, so small; I was seriously afraid she might break if he held her too tightly. She was completely black, save for her sharp green eyes and three of her legs, which looked like they had been dipped in white until about mid-way up.

"Um, how about…" I zeroed in on her legs, saying the first thing that popped in to my head, "Socks?"

He laughed. Not the small chuckle I would hear from him now and then, a true, ringing laugh. I was shocked by how nice I thought that it sounded.

"Such a childish name," he replied. I was on my way to being offended until he continued. "However, I rather like it. I believe it suits her well."

If I hadn't been blushing before, I surely was now.

He set the cat- _Socks_ ¬ back down and scratched under her chin before standing.

"Do you need to bathe?" Akashi-san asked.

I really did, but there was absolutely no way I was doing it here. My clothes were staying _on_. I wasn't going to take any chances.

"No, I'm okay," I lied. He shot me a disbelieving look, but didn't press it.

"Very well," he said. "Come this way."

He sauntered off down the hall and led me to where I assumed his bedroom was. The layout of our apartments was almost identical, so I had a pretty good idea of where everything was.

Akashi-san stopped in front of the closed bedroom door, his hand resting on the doorknob. He half-turned to look at me, the same smirk on his face as always.

"I feel I should inform you, Kouki," he began, his tone giving me the impression that I really wasn't going to like what he said next, "I only have one bed. We will have to share. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

God, why?

* * *

He hadn't been lying, he really did have only the one bed, no futons or any other furniture that would accommodate sleep to be found. Thankfully, the bed he did have was pretty sizable, and by that I mean _huge._ How in the world he managed to get that into this little apartment was beyond me. Anyway, because the bed was so large, there was plenty of space between us, which I had dubbed "no man's land" and vowed to remain out of at all costs. Hopefully, he would share my sentiments on that.

I scootched over as far to the edge of the bed as possible and pulled the red sheets up to my chin. I was lying on my back, stiff as a board and planning on remaining so for the remainder of the night.

"There is no need to worry, Kouki," Akashi-san said as he finished changing (which I most definitely did _not_ observe in the least) and started coming towards the bed. "I have no intention of doing anything to you tonight. You can rest assured."

I guessed he was trying to be reassuring or something because I was clearly on edge, but the moment the lamp clicked off and I felt the bed dip down under his weight, I was everything but calm.

My heart was going a mile a minute and my hands started sweating as they clutched the sheets a little tighter. His promise to leave me alone sounded sincere, and I had pegged him as the kind of person who wouldn't go back on a promise, so what exactly was it that I was so nervous about?

I had shared a bed with people before, but I was pretty sure that crawling between my parents at night when I was afraid of something was a bit different than the situation I was in now. Was that why I was nervous? Like how I had felt after he kissed me, was I having this feeling simply because this was a situation that I had never been in before?

There couldn't be any other reason for it.

It's not as if I was… starting to like him or anything, right?

Sleep. Sleep needed to happen. Sleep needed to happen right now before I started thinking weird things again.

I tensed up a bit more and tugged the sheets up a little higher so that most of my face was hidden. Even if the lights were off and the room was almost completely black, I didn't want to take the chance of Akashi-san catching a glimpse of the traitorous blush that I could feel spreading across my cheeks.

"Good night, Kouki," Akashi-san said quietly from somewhere beside me. "Sleep well." His voice was barely above a whisper, and the words were uttered with so much affection I actually felt a strange sting in my heart when I heard them.

"G-good night, Akashi-san," I muttered back, feeling my cheeks growing hotter by the second.

The room fell in to silence and I thought he may have fallen asleep until I heard him speak up once more, his voice even softer than it had been before.

"Kouki?"

"Y-yes, Akashi-san?"

"You do not have to speak to me so formally. You may refer to me in a more casual way, if you wish."

That was… a little unexpected, actually. By "more casual," did he mean like his first name? I mean, he had been calling me by my first name since pretty much the day we met- not that I had given him permission to do so- but was I comfortable enough to do the same?

"Okay then… Akashi-kun." Apparently not.

He made a grunt of disapproval (or was it disappointment?) but accepted my attempt anyway.

"I suppose that will do for now. Good night, Kouki."

"Good night, Akashi…kun."

This time, the silence remained unbroken, and I found myself slowly relaxing and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

I was harshly and suddenly awoken by the feeling of something violently thrashing around in the bed. I shot up and let the sheets fall and bundle up around my lap. My heart was racing, and I tried to calm myself from the shock I had just experienced. After a few deep breaths, I turned to face the source of my awakening.

Akashi-sa- I mean, Akashi- _kun_ , was aggressively shaking. His whole face was contorted as if he was in horrible pain, and every few seconds he would murmur something that sounded a lot like "mother" and "please, no."

It was frightening, and I didn't know what I should do.

I reached out a hand- which I noticed was almost trembling as bad as Akashi-kun- and placed it on his shoulder, giving it a small shake.

"Akashi-kun," I called. "Akashi-kun, wake up."

No response.

"Akashi-kun!" I tried again with a little more volume and added force in my shaking. Still nothing.

"Akashi-kun! Akashi!"

Nothing I did could wake him.

I remembered reading about something like this in a Psychology class I had taken once. Was he experiencing a night terror? If he was, there was pretty much nothing I could do for him, and I found myself hating that. I decided to try again.

 _"Seijuuro!"_ The name slipped out without a second thought, and as if that alone got through to him, his body began to calm. His convulsing ceased, and the pained look on his face began to soften. I gasped when his heterochromatic shot open and he sat up. His breathing was a bit heavier than normal, but other than that he appeared relatively calm.

"Akashi-kun…?" I said, trying to see if he really was alright.

His face was buried in my chest and his arms were wrapped around me in a vice grip before I even saw it coming. Now that he was suddenly in my arms (or was I in his?), I could tell that his body was still shaking a bit. I felt my hand move on its own and come to rest in his- surprisingly soft- red hair.

"It's okay," I whispered, trying to be reassuring. My fingers brushed through a few stands of his hair. "You're okay."

He didn't respond, but I could feel his body still and his breathing even out. After a few more moments of sitting there caressing his hair and whispering comforting words, I realized why he still hadn't responded.

He had fallen asleep. And his arms were still holding onto me like I was his last lifeline. But for some reason, I was okay with it.

Carefully as I could, so as not to rouse him again, I laid us both back down on the bed. We were now in the center of the bed instead of our respective sides like we had been before. Akashi-kun's body curled into mine, and his arms tightened ever-so-slightly. I felt my eyes growing heavy and soon began to drift off to sleep once more, letting my fingers once again wander into his hair and settle themselves comfortably there.

I had never felt so warm.

* * *

I expected to wake still tangled up with Akashi-kun and blushing because of everything that had happened last night, but to my surprise, he wasn't there when I opened my eyes. I was still curled up in the center of the bed, but I was completely alone; he was nowhere to be seen. He seemed to really like disappearing on me. Not that I was disappointed that I couldn't wake up with him next to me or anything. At least, that's what I tried very hard to convince myself.

I rolled over to the edge of the bed and slung my legs over the side, cringing a bit when my bare feet connected with the cold floor. Winter was quickly approaching, that was for sure. It was starting to get crazy cold outside. I pressed the palms of my hands against the bed and pushed myself upwards into a standing position. I was just about to wander out into the hallway when I heard a sound; music, to be exact.

The song started out soft, each note taking it's time ringing out, slowly gaining volume until reaching their peak and coming back down to almost silence. The notes seemed to flutter effortlessly through the air, gaining speed and then slowing down just as fast.

It was so passionate and filled with intense emotion that I almost wanted to cry when the sound reached my ears. I had never heard anything so beautiful and sorrowful before.  
I gently tugged on the bedroom door and took a silent step into the hallway. I slowly crept along, trying to be as quiet as I could, because I was afraid that if I was noticed, it would end. When I finally reached the end of the hall and caught the sight that awaited me in the living room, my breath was taken away.

Akashi-kun stood off to the side of the room, just by the window, through which the golden rays of early morning sunlight were pouring in and surrounding him like a glowing halo. The fingers of his left hand expertly danced and glided along the neck of the dark-wood violin, effortlessly creating the impressive runs of the notes as his right arm tugged and dragged the bow across the strings in a way that was somehow forceful and gentle all at once. His back was to me, and I caught myself wondering what expression he had on his face as he created such emotional music.

I wanted to paint it, the scene before me. I had never had the desire to paint something so much in my life. Everything about it was just so perfect. I couldn't help but want to capture the moment forever, but since I was left standing there with nothing with which to do so, I took my time to take in everything with only my mind, hoping to create an image that would always remain with me.

I stood there for a few more minutes before the song finally came to its close, the final note still ringing even after the bow was removed from the strings and lowered to his side. He hadn't turned to face me yet, and I thought that maybe he hadn't noticed me standing there silently watching him, admittedly, like a stalker. Of course, it was silly of me to even think that for a moment, this was Akashi Seijuuro after all.

"I'm sorry, Kouki," he said, still not facing me, "did I wake you?"

"That song," I blurted out, "what is it called?" Oh God, I knew my face was so red right now.

"Meditation in D minor," he replied, crouching down to place the violin back in the case that sat on the floor near his feet, "by Tchaikovsky."

I wasn't even going to try to repeat that name; I would definitely butcher it if I did.

"It's very beautiful," I mumbled. But of course he heard me; he always did.

"My mother was quite fond of it," he explained.

"Was?" Damn it, Kouki, learn how to shut up.

He stiffened a bit at that, shutting the case and standing before finally turning to face me. The look in his eyes pierced right through my heart. They were filled with so much sadness and pain, the left one almost seeming to flicker between red and gold; God I almost wanted to hug him then. Almost.

"She passed away when I was very young."

I seriously would have hugged him if Socks hadn't brushed up against my leg just then, meowing lightly as if she wanted something from me.

"She must be hungry," Akashi-kun said, the vulnerable look from before completely disappearing from his face.

He made his way into the kitchen and let out a sort of confused hum when he opened the fridge.

"Uh, is something the matter?" I asked.

"It appears that I have nothing to eat."

"You mean, it's empty?" I couldn't stop the small chuckle from escaping my lips. I was feeling a bit bold, so I decided to tease him a little. "You do realize you actually have to go out and buy things to put in it, right? It doesn't just fill itself."

He shot me a warning look and for a moment I regretted the decision to pick on him; had I forgotten who I was dealing with here? I was getting too comfortable.

"I suppose it must have slipped my mind," he muttered. Oh my God, was he _embarrassed?_

I glanced at the small clock sitting on the counter. I still had some time before I had to get to class.

"Maybe we should go shopping then," I offered.

I swore he almost smiled at that suggestion.

* * *

I wondered if the face I had made when Akashi-kun had taken me to that super fancy, expensive store to buy my suit was anything like that face he had made when we had entered the large grocery store. He looked so incredibly out of place it was almost comical. Sure, he had been coming to my little convenience store for a while now, but even there he stood out. He actually looked pretty lost amongst the aisles and aisles of food.

I had guessed that he had never done his own grocery shopping before- I mean, why go out yourself when you can pay someone else to do it?- but his reactions to the sheer size of the store and the lack of ridiculously large price tags was priceless. To be honest, I found it kind of cute. I would never tell him that, though; he'd either take it as me confessing my love for him or be really offended and kill me or something. Either way, it would be very, very dangerous for me to vocalize that thought.

Though, I will admit that my opinion of him had started to change recently. I was finding him a lot less scary for one. He was still terrifying, don't get me wrong, but I was feeling less and less uncomfortable around him. Even now, as we browsed the aisles and I would periodically remove an item from the shelf, I decided that the situation actually felt kind of… nice. Just a few days ago I would probably have been creeped out or shaking or keeping an eye on him discreetly out of the corner of my eye to make sure he didn't jump me when he thought I wasn't looking. But now, I don't know, it was just different.

I thought I was starting to feel things for him, and that scared me more than Akashi-kun ever could.

But how could I help it when he was staring at the two different brands of eggs in his hands with such a serious, scrutinizing look on his face trying to decide which ones were better?

"Just get the cheapest ones, Akashi-kun," I said.

He shot me a look that probably would have used to make me cry, but considering the situation, I snickered at it a bit instead.

"You should not sacrifice quality for price, Kouki," he reprimanded.

I had to be sick or something because there was no way I could ever find him this adorable.

I chuckled again as he finally made his selection (which, by the way, were in fact the cheapest ones) and we set off towards the check-out counter. I flashed a smile towards the man behind the counter (I knew what it was like to have to deal with customers and felt he deserved it, after all) and started to unload the groceries we had put into the cart.

"Oh!" I exclaimed when we had almost emptied the cart entirely. "I forgot to get milk. Akashi-kun, could you go grab some?"

He nodded. "Of course."

"Just get whatever's cheapest!"

He ignored me- definitely on purpose- and stalked off towards the dairy products.

The man behind the counter (which I noticed had on a nametag which read "Kiyoshi") sent me a small smile in return and began to scan my items.

"Are you two going out?" he asked suddenly.

Cue major blush. "E-excuse me?"

"You and the redhead, are you two dating?"

"N-no," I stuttered, suddenly so embarrassed I could barely function. "We're not."

"Really?" Kiyoshi said thoughtfully. "Well, I'm sorry for asking then."

"It's okay," I reassured him, "but why exactly _did_ you ask?"

"He looks at you like you're the most precious thing in the world. You haven't noticed?"

I opened my mouth to reply- what I was going to say, I had no idea- when Akashi-kun returned with the milk. Kiyoshi graciously dropped the subject, for which I was endlessly grateful, and we paid for our purchases and went to leave.

"Hey," Kiyoshi called just as we were about to go through the door. He made eye contact with Akashi-kun and grinned. "Good luck."

Akashi-kun nodded once in response, clearly understanding whatever it was that the cashier had meant.

"Come, Kouki," Akashi-kun ordered, "Socks is waiting for us."

I sent one last glance behind me and caught Kiyoshi's gaze. He had a knowing look on his face.

* * *

Akashi Seijuuro was many things: rich, intelligent, and gifted in multiple ways. However, in all of his great accomplishments and victories, there was one thing that had defeated him completely; the kitchen. He was almost laughably useless when it came to cooking. I couldn't really blame him though, after all his meals had all probably been prepared by some fancy chef in his home for his entire life. But still, seeing him battle the fried egg he had somehow melded to the pan was on my list of most entertaining things I had ever seen.

I had noticed over the course of last night and this morning that Akashi-kun was actually quite childish in his own way. He was eager to try new things, and became incredibly and easily frustrated when they proved to be more difficult than he had expected them to be. I'm sure it wasn't a side of him that was shown often, considering he was pretty much perfect and never failed at anything, cooking excluded. Knowing that made me feel a little special; this was a side of him that few had ever seen.

Seeing that he was becoming increasingly annoyed, I decided to step in and give him a hand.

"Here," I offered, "do it like this." I took the spatula from his hand and scraped it underneath the egg, removing it from the hot pan and sliding it onto the plate where a few pieces of toast were already waiting.

Akashi-kun was frowning (yes, I definitely had to be sick because that was _not_ cute) and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I cannot believe that I, the absolute, was defeated by an _egg."_

"Don't worry about it," I reassured him. "I was really bad at it when I first tried too!"

"Do you do this for yourself every day, Kouki?"

I nodded. "My parents are both gone, so I had to learn how to take care of myself from a pretty young age." I couldn't believe I was being so open with him about such personal things.

He hummed. "I see. You have my condolences."

"It happened a long time ago," I said. "Nothing to worry about."

He hummed again. "Still, it impresses me that you are able to do so many things all on your own. I did not realize living on your own could be so difficult."

"Speaking of," I began, "why exactly did you move in here, if you don't mind me asking?"

Most of me hoped he wouldn't say "because of you," but there was a tiny part that wished he would. What was going on with me today?

"I was becoming irritated living under the same roof as my father," he explained. "I felt a change of scenery was in order." The smirk finally reappeared on his face. "I was unaware that you lived here as well until you came to greet me, but I must say, it was a very pleasant surprise."

Damn blushing face.

"S-so," change the subject, quickly, "if you moved out of your house, does that mean you gave up working for the company?"

"No," Akashi-san replied, shaking his head, "I will still make appearances when it is necessary for me to. I do still intend to take it over one day."

"I see," I mumbled.

Socks meowed from the below and I filled up a small dish with water and crouched down to place it in front of her. I scratched her head while she happily lapped up the drink.

"I should probably get going," I said from the floor. "I have class soon."

"Do you work tonight?"

My eyes shot up to look at him; he was leaning against the counter and munching on a piece of toast. I nodded.

"May I come and see you?"

I nodded once more, and his face lit up so brightly I almost had to look away.

I cleared my throat and stood, dusting a bit of cat fur off of my pants (which, along with the rest of my clothes, were the same as yesterday and I just knew that there were going to be a ton of questions) and grabbed a single piece of toast before shuffling over to the door. I slipped on my shoes and slung my bag over my shoulder. Akashi-kun had followed and stood not too far behind me, observing.

"W-well," I said, "I'll be going now. Thank you again, Akashi-kun." This blush was going to become a permanent fixture on my face.

"You are welcome any time, Kouki. Goodbye."

I felt like I wanted to say more to him, but I couldn't find the words, so I just nodded again and exited the apartment, closing the door tightly behind me.

Why was my heart beating so fast? Why was my body so hot? The way he had looked at me when he had wished me goodbye, was that the look Kiyoshi the cashier had been talking about?

And most of all, why was none of this bothering me anymore?

* * *

I found myself to be very distracted for the rest of the day; classes seemed to drag on and on and my notebooks were filled with more doodles than actual notes. I just couldn't get Akashi-kun out of my head. Everything suddenly reminded me of him, and no matter where I turned, I just couldn't seem to escape him. He had wormed his way into my mind, and nothing I did could shake him loose. I was caught and I knew it.

I was thankful when my last class finally ended and I could at least get some fresh air to try to clear my mind. Which of course didn't work, because the sky had begun to change to those colors that reminded my so much of his eyes I had subconsciously drawn them. This was bad. I needed to stop this, but I didn't know how. And even worse, I didn't know if I really wanted to.

When I arrived at work, I was still so distracted that I was nearly hit in the face by the set of keys Hyuga-san and tossed at me when I entered.

"You forgot these last night, idiot."

Thank God. At least I could go home now. Into my apartment that was right next to his; where we had slept next to each other and accidentally cuddled and then made breakfast together. God, we weren't even dating or anything, but we were already so _domestic._

If I had thought my classes had passed slowly, work that night went by about as fast as a snail in the mud. I was anxious. I was waiting for him to show up and I couldn't even deny it. Every time someone would come in, I would perk up a bit, only to deflate when I saw it wasn't Akashi-kun. This was ridiculous, just last night I was utterly petrified by the man, but then he had saved a cat and held onto me for dear life in his sleep and had shown me his vulnerable and gentle side and suddenly my whole view on him had shifted.

I liked him. At least, I was definitely starting to.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling when he finally walked through that door, just as my shift was about to end.

"I apologize for being so late," Akashi-kun said. "Perhaps we could walk home together again?"

I nodded and went to grab my things, remembering to check and make sure I had everything before I ran off this time. Akashi-kun was waiting patiently for me to return.

"Shall we?" he asked, gesturing to the door.

The walk home was as quiet as it had been the night before, but it was surprisingly comfortable. I wasn't as on-edge with him as I had previously been. I rather enjoyed the silent trek back to the apartment complex, and I'll admit I was a bit disappointed when our destination came into view.

We took the elevator up to the third floor, still in silence, and walked down the hall to our respective apartments.

"Well," I began, stopping in front of my door, "good night, Akashi-kun."

"Good night, Kouki," he replied.

I slipped my key into the lock and turned the knob, hearing a click before gently pushing it open.

"Kouki," Akashi-kun called just as I was about to step through the threshold.

I turned back to him, but before I could ask what it was that he wanted, I found a pair of hands tightly grasping the back of my head and neck respectively, tugging me forward to meet a pair of soft, warm lips.

The second time he kissed me, I felt dizzy, but for an entirely different reason than I had before. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, I couldn't do much of anything besides let my own fingers find their way into his hair and press myself even closer to him.

And for some reason, I really didn't mind.

 **A/N:**  
 **Gaaah, sorry for taking so long getting this chapter out! This past week had been insaaane, and I've barely had a moment to stop and think. Unfortunately, this upcoming week is going to be even worse because my mom is going out of town, my sister is going to Japan (which I am stupid jealous about), my little brother is having his birthday, and I'm pretty much solely in charge of the house while my dad is at work. All that to say, I'm not sure when I'll get to update again, but (fingers crossed) it shouldn't be too long.**

 **Oh, fun fact, night terrors and nightmares aren't the same thing, oddly enough. If you're really interested in the details, I'd suggest looking it up, but I find it rather interesting. Also, the song Akashi plays is Meditation by Tchaikovsy, and it is crazy beautiful. It's definitely one of my favorites, but I'm a huge classical music nerd.** **I'd recommend looking it up too!**

 **Anyway, thank you guys so much for your sweet comments and such! They mean the world to me, and really help me get motivated when I'm too lazy to sit down and write.**

 **Again, I'm always around on the internet, so if you have any questions or just want to chat about your dog or whatever, you can always find me on Tumblr or talk to me on here. I love hearing from you all.**

 **That's all from me for now. Thanks so much for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

"Oi! Furihata! Get your head out of the clouds and start mopping! The floor's not gonna clean itself!"

I jumped at Hyuga-san's sudden outburst and clutched the wooden mop handle a little tighter.

"Y-yes, sir!" I chirped, dunking the mop in the bucket of soapy water before slapping it back down onto the tile floor. Blue slushy was surprisingly difficult to clean up. Not to mention I was currently… distracted.

We had kissed.

Again.

And I was in to it.

A lot.

And I was okay with that…?

What am I saying? I practically _made out_ with him in the hallway of our apartment complex a few weeks ago. There was definitely no denying my feelings about _that._

I don't know how it happened, I don't know exactly _when_ it happened, but I would classify the feelings I was having right now as "like." I liked him. I, Furihata Kouki, liked Akashi Seijuuro.

But I wasn't going to tell him.

I mean, after the way I had acted in the hallway before we parted for the night should've given him at least some sort of indication of my shift in feelings, so there was no real need for me to explicitly share them with him, right? He should be able to figure it out on his own. He was smart; he didn't need my help.

I tried coming up with excuses, but in all honestly I knew why I didn't want to tell him.

I was a coward. A huge, giant, wimpy coward that could apparently now only express myself in art and for some reason only when I was thinking about him. (After we had separated in the hallway, I had immediately gone into my room and painted the image of him playing his violin in the morning sunlight that I had saved in my memory. Watercolor. It was very nice.) I thought I was starting to get a hold of what Aida-sensei was trying to tell me- about exposing my emotions into the artwork- because every time I created something Akashi-kun related- purposefully or not-, feelings just seemed to vomit themselves out of me and douse every inch of the canvas. I definitely could never let him see those. He'd never let me live it down.

I was scared to be vulnerable with him, and I think it was mostly because I felt a little guilty for how I had been treating him- in my mind, anyway. I had formed an opinion of him, I thought I had him all figured out, but in the end it turned out that he was completely different than I expected.

He was deceptively kind; he was attentive and generous and caring. We had been spending more and more time together; mostly because he was helpless in the kitchen and would die of starvation if I didn't go over and fix food for him. Sometimes he would even pick up his violin and play, which was something I would probably never get tired of hearing, or watching for that matter. The songs he chose were always so sad, and I couldn't help but feel that the violin was his form of expression just as art was mine.

Of all of the things I had discovered about him, his intense love of cats was by far my favorite (and most amusing). He _adored_ Socks. I went over to his place one night only to find the entire living area covered with what would probably amount to an entire pet store's worth of toys, which the small kitten was happily meandering between, occasionally stopping to nibble on the corner of one or prod one with one of her little padded paws. Akashi-kun just sat back and watched, a fond expression on his face.

I was a little concerned, though, because Socks was starting to get a little chunky around the middle. I mentioned it to Akashi-kun once, but was quickly shot down by a sharp glare. He took his cat-parenting very seriously. And God was it cute.

"Cute" was something I never in a million years thought I would think about him, but recently I was starting to find just about everything he did adorable on some level. I was becoming seriously weird.

Deep down, I really wanted to tell him about how I felt, but I just didn't think I could do it.

I sighed and sloshed the mop around, soaking up the foreboding blue mush from the floor as best as I could.

Hyuga-san noticed my mood and promptly whacked me in the back of the head.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed, dropping the mop and cradling the throbbing spot.

"You've been zoned out for a while now," Hyuga-san explained, pushing his glasses up his nose, "what's going on?"

Was he… worried about me? But did I really feel comfortable enough to share everything with him? But then again, talking about it would probably be helpful.

"Hyuga-san," I began, "you've confessed to someone before, right?"

His cheeks became dusted in a light red and he averted his gaze. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Of course!"

"Really? How did you do it? Was it hard? We're you scared? Did they accept?!"

He looked really flustered and I'll admit I found it a little amusing. He stayed silent, and for a moment I thought he was going to ignore my questions, but then he suddenly responded with another blow to the back of my head.

"Ow!" I groaned.

"None of those questions are important," Hyuga-san insisted, adjusting his glassed again. "The real question is, 'why are you asking?'"

"Eh," I didn't really know how to go about this. I didn't think I wanted him to know all of the details, so I tried to remain as vague as possible. "Well, I have… this friend, and they've just realized that they kind of have feelings for someone that they thought they would never look at that way, and now they're really confused and don't know what to do because they'd like to confess but they're scared because they've never done it before or really have ever had feelings like that, but the person they like has already confessed to them and they've k-kissed and stuff, so do they really need to confess at all or can they just not? My… friend would like to know."

Word vomit. I just can't stop the word vomit.

Hyuga-san looked genuinely confused for a few moments, which I assumed was because he was trying to process whatever the heck it was that I had just said. "Furihata," he began, "are you an idiot?"

"H-huh?"

"Of course you- uh, your _'friend'_ should confess! Anyone can kiss, that alone doesn't mean anything! Tell your 'friend' that they need to man-up and tell the other person how they feel."

"But, how do you do that?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter how you do it. Especially if they've already confessed! Just be honest with them. Your… friend's feelings will get through to them."

"You know," I said, "you give surprisingly good advice, Hyuga-san."

"What do you mean _'surprisingly?'"_ He looked poised to deliver another blow to my poor abused head but (thankfully) didn't. I couldn't take many more of those. "Idiot. Finish cleaning this up."

"Yes, sir!" I mock-saluted him and returned to mopping up the sticky blue mess.

* * *

My phone buzzed as I was gathering my things to leave the store. I was getting off pretty early tonight, which I was definitely grateful for. I picked up my phone and tapped at the screen to pull up the message I had just received. It was from Akashi-kun, whose name I had long since changed in my contacts from "Stalker." I was a changed man, after all.

 **From: Akashi-kun**

 **To: Me**

 _Kouki, I will be unable to come pick you up from work this evening. I have some important business to attend to. I hope you will forgive me. [Sent 10:33]_

I frowned a bit when I read it. I had really begun to enjoy our walks back to the apartment together. He said it was important business, so I assumed it had something to do with the company.

 **From: Me**

 **To: Akashi-kun**

 _ok thats fine. see u later then_

I looked at the message for a few seconds and then decided to add something else. I was going to be a little less wimpy tonight.

 **From: Me**

 **To: Akashi-kun**

 _ok thats fine. see u later then. and hey, i have something to tell u next time [Sent 10:35]_

Pressing the send button was the hardest thing I had ever done.

But I did it.

Now I just had to follow through.

* * *

The walk home was quiet. Well, it was always quiet, but this was different. The walks with Akashi-kun were comfortable; this was just agonizing. Did my life really revolve around him so much already? Had I really fallen _that_ hard? So hard that just this short separation was enough to drive me insane? God, that was embarrassing. Had I always been this easy?

I felt a shiver make its way up my spine, and I tugged the ends of my coat a little tighter around myself. I really should've dressed warmer. It was mid-December; classes were on hold until the end of the holidays, so I had been putting in more time at the store. Earlier hours, thankfully, so I wasn't out until the wee hours of the morning anymore. This break was doing wonders for my sleep schedule. I didn't feel like a zombie for the first time in months, and my face was definitely looking less undead-ish recently. All-in-all, things were going pretty well for me right now.

At least, that's what I thought.

My nose had started running by the time I made it back to the apartment complex. Stupid cold weather. The last thing I needed was to get sick. I may have had more free-time, but I definitely didn't have enough time for that. I let out a small cough as the elevator opened to my floor. No. No getting sick, Kouki.

Just as I stepped off the elevator, a particularly revolting stream of snot started oozing out of my nostrils, and as much as it disgusted me, it was all I could do to wipe it on my sleeve before it started gushing all over my face. Of course, with my incredible history of good luck (or lack thereof), my actions did not go unnoticed.

I caught sight of the incredibly attractive woman standing in the hallway just as I had finished my snot-removing swipe.

Insta-blush.

She didn't respond to my disgusting actions, so I hoped (and prayed) that she either miraculously missed it, or was kind enough not to make a big deal out of it. Because it was gross.

I shuffled forward down the hall, purposefully concealing the tainted sleeve in question as I went towards my apartment.

"Excuse me," the woman spoke up.

Was she talking to me? _Why_ was she talking to me? Was she going to bring up the snot-sleeve after all?

"Y-yes?" I replied, subconsciously adjusting my sleeve.

"Akashi Seijuuro lives here, correct?"

Akashi-kun? What would she want with him?

"Uh, yes, miss. He lives in 312," I gestured to the apartment that was a little bit further down the hall from where we were standing, "but he's not in right now. Do you need something?"

She pushed a piece of her long, dark hair behind one of her ears and shook her head. There was a hint of a blush in her cheeks. "No, it's nothing important. I just wanted to see him. Do you know when he will return?"

This time it was I that shook my head. "I don't. I can give him a message for you if you want?" I offered.

She smiled softly at the suggestion. Holy crap, she was really pretty. "Just tell him that I dropped by, and I am very much looking forward to the wedding."

"To the… wedding?" I asked. Was someone Akashi-kun knows getting married? "Whose wedding?" There I go with the "thinking out loud thing" again.

"Ours, of course!" she replied, perking up a bit. "Akashi-san and I are to be married."

If you heard that shattering sound, that was my heart.

"O-oh! Really? I had no idea." Kouki, whatever you do, do not cry. _Do not cry._ "Congratulations." Eyes, I'm talking to you. Stop it with the watering thing.

Her smile brightened and it stabbed even harder at my throbbing mess of a heart. "Thank you!" Oh God, she was _thanking_ me. "I will be on my way now. Please give him the message!"

And with that, she was gone.

And so was every piece of happiness I had in my body.

* * *

Somehow I had managed to make it all the way inside my apartment and onto my bed before I lost it.

Are you kidding me? Are you _joking?_ After everything: the kisses, the small touches, the affection, his confession, it turns out that he's engaged! He was playing me this whole time; teasing me and tricking me and making me so _stupidly_ fall for him. I was straight, damn it! But I was going to make an exception for him! I was going to _confess._ I thought he was different, but in the end, I was just a game to him.

It hurt. It hurt more than anything else ever had. Not even the night my parents died compared to the utter devastation I was feeling now. The tears wouldn't stop. My already running nose was now like an opened floodgate, freely pouring out and gushing and making a mess of the pillow I had buried my face in. It was ugly crying, but it perfectly fit how I was feeling. Ugly. Gross. Betrayed. Empty. _Angry._

I was so _angry._

And whenever I was this angry in the past, there was only one thing that I wanted to do.

Sleep.

And that's exactly what I did; I didn't even bother crawling under my covers, despite how chilly it was in my room. I just curled myself up on top of them, wrapping my arms around my knees and pulling my legs into my chest, the sound of my own sobs slowly lulling me off to sleep.

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, sticky from snot and tears and sporting a high fever and cough, I realized that slumbering without my covers on a cold night while I angry-cried myself to sleep probably hadn't been a good idea.

Everything hurt. My whole body was aching, all the way down to my throat, which was raw and scratchy. I was thankful I didn't have classes today, because I felt so dizzy I almost passed out on my way to the bathroom. I definitely wasn't going to make it in to work tonight. There was no way. Dang it. You weren't supposed to get sick, Kouki.

I rolled over onto my side, safely tucked inside my warm cocoon of blankets, and slid out one arm to grab my phone. I'd have to let Hyuga-san know I couldn't come in. I typed out a quick message and sent it, immediately slipping my arm back in to the warmth. Fever chills were the worst things ever.

I'd give anything for some meds right about now, but I was out and didn't have the energy to get out of bed, let alone go all the way out to the store to pick some up. An idea came to me, and I grabbed my phone again.

 **From: Me**

 **To: Kuroko**

 _hey, could u bring me some meds? Im dying over here i think [Sent 9:13]_

A few minutes later, I received a reply from him, asking exactly what my symptoms were and what kind of medicine I would prefer. I explained everything to him, and told him that I probably couldn't come to the door when he arrived, so he could use the spare key I kept hidden under the rug outside my front door- something I had just recently started doing after that incident a few weeks back- and come on in. He agreed; a saint and a demon in one, it seemed he was.

I dropped my phone onto the bed next to my head and curled back up for a grand total of about 7 seconds before it started buzzing again. I thought maybe it might be Kuroko again, but to my surprise (and anguish) it was a phone call. From Akashi-kun.

No. No. I couldn't deal with that right now. My emotions were unstable and I was delirious with fever and the last thing I needed was _him._ I wasn't ready for that confrontation.

So I ignored the call, which was something I previously would have never dreamed of doing out of fear of the repercussions that would follow, but I was tired and pissed and sick and I just wanted to get some sleep before Kuroko showed up to save me.

But of course, this was Akashi-kun we were talking about, and he was persistent. I wasn't about to give in though; I was done playing his games, so I turned my phone on silent and set it upside-down on the bedside table. I was done with him.

* * *

I hadn't dozed off for long when I heard the sound of the front door opening. Kuroko must have just showed up, thank God. I would've called out to him, but I was feeling so weak that I could barely keep my eyes open. I'm sure even if I didn't welcome him, he wouldn't mind and would just drop off the meds and go.

I heard footsteps closing in on my bedroom door, which squeaked open a few moments later. I didn't move, but made a sort of grunting noise which meant something along the lines of "just leave it on the table." I guessed he understood my fever-speak, because I heard the rusting of a bag and the clunk when it landed against the bedside table. Just as I expected.

What I hadn't expected, though, was the feeling of my bed dipping in and something smooth and warm being pressed against my forehead. This definitely wasn't something I thought Kuroko would do. I weakly willed my eyes to open, and when I caught sight of those bright red eyes gazing into mine-incredibly close due to our connected foreheads- I felt my heart begin to sting all over again.

Why? Why was it him? Why was Akashi Seijuuro in my room, bringing me medicine, and checking my temperature with his face?

Had I been less weary, I probably would've shoved him away from me, but I still couldn't move, so the best I could do was start crying again.

Although, weeping would probably be a better description.

Akashi-kun's eyes widened at the sight of the torrential stream of hot tears running down my feverish cheeks.

"Kouki," he said in such a sweet, concerned way that made me both love and hate him even more because he _lied_ to me, damn it, but seeing him in person, right in front of me, I still couldn't shake the feelings that had grown within me. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Yes, yes I'm hurt. I'm hurt because you broke my heart and no matter how much I want to I just can't stop loving you.

"W-why?" I sniffled. "Why are you here?"

He moved back a little and rested a hand on my hot face, wiping away a few of the tears on my cheeks with his thumb.

"You did not answer my calls, Kouki, I was worried about you," he explained, swiping his thumb underneath my eye. "I contacted Tetsuya and he told me that you were ill. He told me to bring over some medicine and check on you."

Damn it, stop sounding so caring and sincere. I'm trying to hate you right now.

"Why do you care?" I barked, finally reaching my emotional breaking point.

"What do you mean, Kouki?" He looked genuinely confused. "I have already told you how I feel about you. Are my actions now really that much of a surprise?"

"Yes!" I was losing it. The fever was messing with my mind, and I couldn't control myself anymore. "You're just messing with me! I know the truth, Akashi-kun. I know you're engaged to be married!"

"What?" he softly snapped.

"She came to see you!" I explained, my tears still flowing out of my control. "She was here and she told me everything, so you don't have to pretend anymore! Just leave me alone!"

My angry demands were cut off by Akashi-kun's lips smashing against mine roughly. His hands grabbed my wrists, moving them and holding them tightly in place above my head. He pulled away a moment later, but refused to release my arms.

"Listen to me, Kouki," he ordered. I was about to protest, but a single dark glare shut me up. "That arrangement was orchestrated by my father. I have no part in it, and I have no intention of going through with it. I have even told my father as much. That woman is nothing to me." His gaze softened and the grip on my wrists lessened. "My whole life, I have only felt affection for two others; one was my mother, the other is you." One of his hands again found its way to my cheek, softly and lovingly caressing it. "I love you, Kouki. Truly and completely. I have no intention of giving you up or letting anything take you from me. This I swear to you."

The tears which had finally started to calm began pouring from my face again, and I couldn't tell if the heat I was feeling on my cheeks was from my fever or something else.

God, I loved him. I loved him so much.

He pulled me up from my laying position and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, trapping me against his chest. My own hands wormed up his back and latched onto his shirt, just at the shoulder blades. I wept into his shoulder, soaking it with wet tears and snot, but he didn't seem to mind. He just rubbed my back softly and whispered _"I love you"_ s into my ear.

After a few minutes, I had finally started to calm down, and he helped me take a few pills and lay back on my bed, tucking me in and placing a cooling pad on my forehead with a small kiss. The medicine had a side effect of drowsiness, which I had begun to feel rather quickly. Of course, he noticed immediately.

"Sleep now, Kouki," he instructed, running his fingers through my hair gently. "I shall remain here by your side until you wake."

I nodded weakly and let my eyes close, feeling consciousness begin to slowly drift away from me.

I don't know if it was the fever, or the medicine, or my own will, but just as sleep was about to take me, my lips parted and quietly uttered the small words I had been keeping hidden away in my heart.

 _"I… love you."_

A hand rested on my head. "I know, Kouki. I know."

 **A/N:**  
 **Wooooo I finally got this puppy out! Let me tell you, this week has been insane. I've barely had a moment to sit down and think, let alone try to write, so thank you guys for being patient with me (especially you, Tumblr friends!).**

 **Oh! Fun story, my older sister is in Japan right now (she's currently in Nagoya competing in the Karate World Cup, which is super legit, but a few days ago she was in Tokyo) and she's been sending me a bunch of pictures and stuff because I want to be there with her like crazy, and a few of them were of her eating things in 7-Eleven. I was like, hey, I'm writing about 7-Eleven. Haha I thought it was funny.**

 **Anyway, thank you all for reading and commenting and everything, it seriously means so much to hear back from you guys. I'll try to get the next update out soon!**  
 **Loves!**


	7. Chapter 7

"I think I like this one best of all, Kouki."

He held the canvas up to my face, as if I didn't already know _exactly_ what was on it.

It was the watercolor I had done of Akashi-kun with his violin.

While I had been passed out from fever, he had apparently done some snooping around my apartment and found my stash of secret art projects. Not that they what you would call "well hidden;" they were littered all over my living room. In my defense, I hadn't exactly anticipated him coming over. If I had, they definitely would've been stuffed in to some closet never to again see the light of day because they were so _embarrassing_.

"Come on now, Kouki," he teased. "There is no need to be embarrassed about these. After all, you _love me,_ correct?"

If the fact that he had found pretty much every piece of art I had done that was related to him in some way was embarrassing, the fact that I had apparently _confessed_ at some point last night was so horribly _mortifying_ that I just wanted to curl back up under my covers and never come back out.

It's not that I didn't want him to know- I had intended on eventually telling him after all- it was mostly the fact that "eventually" had come a lot sooner than I had anticipated, and with my fever and all, I had literally gotten caught up in the heat of the moment.

I pouted at his teasing and snuggled down in to the covers.

Akashi-kun chuckled and set the canvas down on the floor. "I'm sorry, Kouki," he said with a smirk, which totally contradicted the apology. "You're reactions are just so cute that I can't help myself." He leaned over and pressed his lips softly against my forehead. "Your fever seems to have gone down quite a bit. That is good. You are still a bit warm though."

Which was probably due to the fact that he was _very_ close to my face, and his body was _very_ close to laying on top of mine.

He leaned back and brushed a clump of unruly hair away from my face.

"You should probably get some more rest," he said.

I nodded and sank deeper into the bed. "A-Akashi-kun?" I called.

"Yes, Kouki?"

"About last night, I-"

My voice was abruptly cut off by the loud rapping on my front door. I started to move, intending on going to answer, but Akashi-kun stopped me with his hand, pressing against my chest to keep me in place.

"I will get it," he stated before standing and leaving me alone in the bedroom.

I wondered if I had enough time to get up and hide my artwork before he came back, but before I could even get up the strength to move, he had returned with a large covered bowl in his hands.

"What's that?" I asked as he sat back in the chair he had abandoned moments earlier.

"Tetsuya brought it over. Kagami Taiga prepared some soup for you, apparently. They both wish for you to get well soon."

"Oh," I responded. "How nice of them. I'm not really hungry right now, though. I'll eat some later."

Akashi-kun didn't agree with that idea.

"Kouki," he chided, "you will not get better if you do not take care of yourself. You must eat."

"I will," I explained. "It's just, right now I-"

"No," he said firmly, effectively shutting me up as he was always so good at doing. "I am going to go next door and check on Socks. I will leave this here, and when I return, I expect you to be eating."

With that, he stood and sauntered off in an authoritative- almost imperial- way. I looked down at the warm bowl he had set in my lap before taking off. I had a feeling hell would rain down if I didn't follow his order, so after sitting up, I removed the covering and lightly sipped at the steaming broth.

Kagami was truly amazing. His skill in the kitchen was enough to make grown men cry, and believe me, I'd seen it. Last Christmas had been an interesting experience, that was for sure. Everyone was stuffing their faces almost as fast as the tears were pouring out.

That reminiscence reminded me that Christmas was just around the corner; there was only about a week left to go. I wondered if I should get something for Akashi-kun. I mean, we were like officially together or anything, but as of last night I had officially confessed. That meant gift giving was appropriate, right? Expected even? Even if I did get him something, I had absolutely zero idea as to what _to_ get him.

I set down the now almost empty bowl on the bedside table and traded it for my cellphone. I figured Akashi-kun wouldn't be back for a few more minutes; he tended to lose track of time when it came to Socks. I quickly found Kuroko's name amongst my list of contacts (which was pathetically small) and dialed his number.

 _"Hello?"_ he answered after only a few rings.

"Kuroko, it's me, Furihata."

 _"Ah, Furihata-kun,_ " he replied, _"are you feeling better?"_

"I am," I said, "I've just got a slight fever still, but it's not bad. Tell Kagami thanks you the soup, by the way."

 _"I will_ ," he assured me. _"Is that why you called?"_

"Ah, no, actually." Why exactly had I called him? I could've easily asked him what I wanted to know over text where it was much less likely for me to make an idiot of myself. Brilliant as always, Kouki. "I-I wanted to ask you about something."

 _"Okay."_

I guess that was my cue to talk?

"Well," I began, "let's just say that I was thinking about getting a gift for someone, but I didn't know if I should or what I would get if I did. What would you say?"

 _"We are talking about Akashi-kun here, right?"_

Damn it, he was sharp.

"Eh, well, yes."

 _"Isn't it a bit late to get him something now?"_ Kuroko asked.

"I know it's pretty short notice, but I still have a few days before Christmas, so I figured I could go out and get something sometime this week and-"

 _"Oh,"_ he interrupted, _"you meant for Christmas."_

"Well, yeah. What else would I be talking about?"

 _"His birthday,"_ Kuroko explained. _"It's tomorrow. I told you that before."_

"Tomorrow?" I repeated. "You never told me that!"

 _"I did. When you came over that time, you asked how old he was. I told you that he was 18, but his birthday was in a few months."_

"How was I supposed to know that you meant December 20th when you said that?!"

 _"Sorry, Furihata-kun. Kagami-kun and I are going out now. I'll talk to you later."_

"Wait!" I yelled. "You still haven't told me what I should do! Kuroko!"

The line went dead.

"Were you speaking with Tetsuya just now?"

It took everything I had in me not to accidentally chuck my phone in Akashi-kun's direction when he suddenly spoke up. He surprised me, dang it.

"Oh," I replied, setting my phone back down where it would be safe from my pitch. "Yeah. I just wanted to ask him about something."

"About what?"

I blushed. "N-nothing! It was nothing at all. No big deal."

He hummed in response and came a little further into the room. It wasn't until he was almost to the bed that I noticed the little bundle of fur in his arms.

"You brought Socks back with you?" I asked.

"Yes," Akashi-kun replied, setting the kitten down on the bed. She promptly made her way up the covers and settled down right next to my pillow. "I didn't want to leave her alone anymore."

Okay, that was kind of adorable. Like I'd said before, he was crazy about this cat. I could totally understand that, though. She was the cutest, fluffiest, sweetest little thing I'd ever seen. She yawned and snuggled a little deeper into the mattress. I caught Akashi-kun smiling fondly at the scene.

"I see you ate the soup," he commented.

I nodded.

"Are you feeling better?"

I nodded again. "Much."

"Well then, perhaps I should take me leave then," Akashi-kun said.

"No!" I replied, a little louder than I had intended to. My face warmed. "I mean, Socks is passed out here, and it would be a shame to move her now, so maybe you could… stay a little longer?" This was still the fever, right? I still had enough fever to make me do these weird things, yeah?

"I see," he replied, his mouth morphing in to his favorite smirk with ease. "You wish for me to stay with you then?"

I flailed my arms in embarrassment. "I mean-"

"I know what you mean." His face softened back to the gentle smile he had shown earlier. "I will gladly stay by you side for as long as you desire it."

"O-okay."

I laid back own on the bed; carefully, so as not to wake the slumbering kitten beside me.

"Akashi-kun?"

"Yes, Kouki?"

I had a feeling I was going to regret asking for some reason, but my curiosity was much too strong for one as wimpy as I.

"Is it true that tomorrow is your birthday?"

When the smile disappeared from his face and his body went rigid, I knew I had traveled into dangerous territory.

"Yes," he replied coldly, "I suppose it is. How did you know?"

"Kuroko told me," I explained. "I-I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"It is alright, Kouki," he assured me, his tone still pretty harsh. "I am just not particularly fond of the day."

"I-I see."

 _I wonder why?_

"It is simply a day that holds no fond memories for me."

Either I had spoken my inner thoughts out loud again, or he was opening up of his of volition. I hoped it was the latter. I could tell by his tone that even if he had willingly told me that, he had no intention of expanding on the matter any further, so I gave up the hope of finding out his reasoning.

Whatever it was though, I was sure it was sad. A birthday is supposed to be a special day filled with friends and family and lots of love. I had this horrible feeling that Akashi-kun had never experienced that, and it broke my heart.

Whether he liked it or not, I was going to try my best to make tomorrow a happy day for him. Maybe if I could create a new, happy memory for him, it would take the place of whatever painful one had a hold over that day for him.

Resolute in my decision, I closed my eyes, intent on sleeping off the rest of this fever. I needed to be well by tomorrow. I was going to give Akashi-kun the happiest birthday I could. No matter what it took.

Because that's what you do when you love someone.

* * *

Thankfully, by the time I had awoken (it was late afternoon), my fever was all but gone. I think Kagami's miracle soup had something to do with it, but I didn't have definite proof. Akashi-kun returned home after I assured him that I was fine and could fend for myself from here-on-out. Of course he brought up the fact that "that's not what I had said earlier when I begged him to stay," but I still managed to get him and his cat out the door before my face became _completely_ red.

I spent the remainder of the day trying to figure out what I wanted to do for Akashi-kun's birthday. I had never really planned out anything like this before, so I was kind of at a loss as to where to even start. I wasted hours staring at the wall, hoping that some brilliant idea or stroke of genius would just come to me, but when 10:00 rolled around and all I had was a headache from thinking so hard, I decided to call it a night and just wing it in the morning.

Which is exactly was I was doing.

I had put on the suit he had bought for me; fumbling miserably with the tie, but somehow getting it to stay in a halfway-knotted… thing. I was pretty sure he liked seeing me in it, if our first outing together was any indication. And truth be told, I thought I looked pretty spiffy in it as well.

Once I had deemed myself presentable (except for that darn hair of mine), I exited my apartment and made the short trip next door to his. I took a few deep breaths to try and calm myself, and when I realized that I was too far gone by this point to calm down that easily, I gently tapped my knuckles against his door.

The wait was almost unbearable.

After a few seconds, I seriously considered high-tailing it back to my apartment and staying in bed for the rest of the day so the world wouldn't see how embarrassed I was. Maybe he wasn't home? He sure was taking a long time. I was honestly just about to leave when I heard the lock of the door click open.

Akashi-kun stood in the doorway, looking like he had just woken up, and his tired eyes widened when he saw me.

"Kouki?" was all he said.

"I- uh- you see- well-" Get a hold of yourself, man. "I-I know you said that you didn't like today, but I still felt that it wasn't right for someone to be alone on their birthday, so I thought I'd come over and maybe spend the day with you or something and maybe make today a happy one for you so," I took a step towards him and gently pressed my lips against his, pulling away just a moment later, "Happy Birthday Akashi-kun."

He didn't respond, and I was terrified that I had made the wrong decision in coming over. He was angry. He had to be. It was stupid of me to think that I could make this day that for whatever reason he hated suddenly wonderful just by showing his face. I was going to apologize when I saw something I had never thought I would ever see; a warm pink spreading across his cheeks.

He was blushing.

Akashi Seijuuro was blushing.

I thought I had died.

Unfortunately, he regained his composure almost as quickly as he had lost it, and was back to his stony-face stare before I knew it. There was a hint of a smile on his lips though. I felt a little triumphant at that.

"You got all dressed up just for this occasion?" he asked teasingly.

"Y-yeah. I figured it would be a good idea, but maybe that was silly of me…"

"No, no," he assured me, grabbing my tie and tugging it to pull me back closer to him. "I rather like seeing you like this." He smirked and undid the mess of a knot I had made of my tie. "You are still hopeless when it comes to tying this correctly, it seems."

"It's still new to me…" I mumbled, taking my turn at blushing.

"So it is," he agreed, finally releasing me once he had finished fixing my tie. "So, what plans have you made for this 'happy day' scheme of yours?"

I scratched the back of my head and nervously chuckled. "Well, I haven't really made any plans or anything."

Akashi-kun clearly found that very amusing. He even let loose a small snort of a laugh. "Is that so? Well then, would you like to accompany me on some business I have to attend to today? I have some thingsI wish for you to know, as well."

I nodded hastily at his suggestion and accepted when he welcomed me inside to wait while he got ready.

Even though he was joking around and teasing me like normal, I could tell that there was something a little off about him today. I really hoped I could somehow turn this day around for him. I didn't know how, but I had to.

* * *

I should've been suspicious of our destination when I climbed into the long black car that had shown up outside to pick us up. You didn't just take one of those casually to the park or something. But then again, this was Akashi-kun we were talking about, so it was entirely possibly that he did indeed take one of these casually to the park or something. I had set up various scenarios in my mind of all the possible places we could be going that ranged from restaurants to amusement parks, but where we had ended up wasn't on my list.

I had not even considered that we would end up at the Akashi mansion (after a short detour to a flower shop, for reasons unknown to me). And I don't use the term mansion lightly here; the place was _huge._ I wasn't even sure if we were actually in Japan anymore, because this was not something you just saw every day. The architecture was definitely a western style, probably European, I guessed. No matter what it was, the fact remained that it was _ginormous._

Akashi-kun caught on to my obvious amazement at the place and chuckled a bit.

"Come, Kouki," he said, taking my hand and dragging me off towards an unknown destination. "There is someone I wish for you to meet."

I remained silent as he led me past the house (I guess we weren't actually going inside?) and off to the side, where a small gate separated the area from the rest of the grounds.

It wasn't until we had gone through the gate that I realized just where we were.

"This is the Akashi family private cemetery," Akashi-kun explained, confirming my suspicions.

I felt a little sick to my stomach. Who could he possibly want for me to meet here?

Holding my hand tightly, Akashi-kun led me through rows and rows of gravestones, each bearing the name of one of his late ancestors. We finally stopped in front of one of the stones. It was light gray and actually quite beautiful, for what it was. I could tell it was well-kept.

I looked closely and took in the name that was meticulously carved into the stone.

 _Akashi Shiori_

"Is this-"

"My mother," Akashi-kun answered, kneeling to set down the 15-flower bundle he had purchased earlier next to a small picture frame that I couldn't see the contents of very well. They were beautiful soft pink tea roses. He ran his fingers across his mother's name with a sad smile.

"Have you noticed?" he asked, looking up at me from the ground.

"What?"

"The date." He touched a spot on the stone with his finger tip.

I studied the area he indicated and felt my heart drop into the pit of my stomach.

 _December 20_

"She died on this day," Akashi-kun said, removing his hand from the stone and lifting up the small picture frame, "13 years ago."

I felt sick.

Akashi-kun stood and dusted off the pant legs of his dark suit. He held out the small frame and I took it in shaking hands.

It was a picture of a very small Akashi-kun, probably no older than two or three, sitting in the lap of a beautiful woman with long red hair. She was smiling softly at the camera, her golden-red eyes crinkled in the corners, and her small child looking fondly up at her with and almost identical smile.

"She was lovely," I found myself whispering, running my fingers across the smooth glass. They both looked so happy.

I saw a few drops of water fall onto the glass near my fingers, and wondered if it had started to rain, only to be surprised to find that my eyes were the source. And of course, once I had realized I was crying, it only got worse. I had cried in front of Akashi-kun more times in the past few days than I had ever thought I would.

"Kouki," Akashi-kun said soothingly, taking the frame from my trembling hands and setting it back on the ground before wrapping his arms tightly around me, for the second time in almost as many days.

"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered, trying to form words through my sobs. "This is why you hate your birthday, isn't it? A-and I made you take me out here and I just feel awful about that."

"Shh," he crooned, moving one hand up to pat the back of my head. "I brought you here because I wanted to. You have nothing to feel badly about."

He released me and pressed a small kiss on my forehead, as he had done many times before.

"I told you I wanted you to meet someone, right?" I nodded. "It was her."

I sniffled and once against faced his mother's grave.

"N-nice to meet you," I said with a bow. "I am Furihata Kouki, and I will be taking care of Akashi-kun from now on, so you don't have to worry." I lifted my head and turned back to face Akashi-kun, who had a loving expression on his face.

His mouth opened as if he were about to say something, but he was cut off before he could speak by a harsh, gruff voice.

"Seijuuro, what are you doing here?"

I saw Akashi-kun grit his teeth and clench his fists tightly at his sides. "I have as much right to be here as you do, Father."

As the man (Akashi-kun's father) approached, I could see that Akashi-kun definitely took after his mother.

This man gave off the complete opposite impression that I had gotten from the photo of his late wife. He was stern, his dark eyes looking down on us both in a condescending manner. His dark hair was smoothed back, only giving an even better view of his intimidating face. He did not seem to be a pleasant man. I inadvertently shivered as he grew closer.

His dark eyes snapped to the side and latched on to me, making me squirm a bit.

"Not only have you come here on this day, you have brought _guests_ as well."

Akashi-kun moved to stand in a defensive position before me.

"You leave him alone," he demanded, his voice very heavy and almost snarl-like.

His father scoffed. "A nobody like him is no concern of mine," Akashi-kun visibly tensed at that, "but I'm afraid I must ask again. What are you doing here?"

"I am here to see Mother," Akashi-kun explained. His voice was strained, like he was trying very hard to stay calm.

"I believe I have told you that you are not permitted here, especially on this day. _Especially_ after what you did."

Akashi-kun was shaking now, and his knuckles were white from how tightly his fists were tightened.

I had a feeling that things were about to go very sour very fast, but I couldn't bring myself to speak up. The two men before me were utterly petrifying. The best I could do was reach out a trembling hand and touch Akashi-kun softly on the shoulder.

He quickly whipped around- causing me to jump a bit- and I gasped when my eyes met his. I had thought before that I had seen one of his eyes become a different in the past, but now it was burning like hot, molten gold; fiery and passionate and filled with so much animosity and pure hatred that I was honestly terrified in that moment.

"L-let's just go, okay?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper and cracking in my fear.

Akashi-kun seemed to calm down a bit at the suggestion, but only slightly. Without another word, he roughly took my hand and started to drag me in the direction of the exit.

"I do not want to see you here again, Seijuuro!" his father called after us. "Do you hear me?! Don't you dare forget that! Don't you dare forget what you have done!"

Akashi-kun never turned back.

* * *

The ride back to the apartment was spent in silence. Akashi-kun did not let go of my hand the whole way. My plan to make this day a memorably happy one had definitely failed horribly. I felt like everything that had happened was my fault, and the guilt was all but eating me alive. I wanted to talk to him, to comfort him in some way, but I just couldn't find the words.

I had never felt so useless in my entire life.

The heavy silence hung over us like a curtain even was we arrived at the apartment complex and boarded the elevator. The walk down the hallway towards our apartments was excruciatingly painful. We both felt defeated. I knew I had to do something about this atmosphere; there was no way I would let the day end like this.

Before he could protest, I clasped Akashi-kun's hand tighter and dragged him into my apartment, only releasing him once I had closed the door behind us. He still hadn't said a word to me, and just stared down at the floor. I was becoming a little irritated. This wasn't like him at all, and he needed to snap out of it.

"Sit," I said in a demanding way that I would have never used otherwise. I pointed to the small table I had sitting not too far from the vomit-couch, and as he made his way over and plopped down in one of the chairs, I went into the kitchen and started cooking.

I quickly whipped up a large serving of tofu soup (mostly because I hadn't been shopping and didn't have much else around) and harshly slammed it down on the table.

"Eat."

Thankfully, he again followed my instruction without question, and I was starting to enjoy being assertive a little bit. He took one sip of the hot soup and immediately seemed to brighten a bit. He slurped it down at lightning speed, and was helping himself to more before I could barely tuck into my own.

After eating his fill, Akashi-kun seemed a little less… weird, and my curious mind was wondering what that whole thing with his father back at the cemetery was about.

Thankfully, he read my mind (at least, I think that's what happened, but knowing my history, I could've spoken out loud again) and began to explain some things to me.

"I am sure you a curious as to what my father was referring to, am I correct?" Akashi-kun looked over at me, and I noticed that the color in his left eye had begun to dim.

I nodded in affirmation.

"It is not an easy story to tell, Kouki, nor is it a happy one. Are you sure you wish to know?"

I nodded once more.

Akashi-kun sighed and began telling his story.

"You see, Kouki, if it were not for me, my mother would still be alive."

"What do you mean?" I asked, almost dreading the answer, for I knew it would not be a good one.

"I mean, she is dead because of me." The dimming gold in his left eye flashed brightly again for a short moment. "My mother is dead because I killed her."

 **A/N:**  
 **I'm evil and I'm not sorry. Okay, I'm a little bit sorry, but there's sad junk coming up, and I just don't want to write it right now, so I'm subjecting you all to my evilness.**

 **Please don't hate me. But if you do, it's okay. I'll forgive you because I love you guys so much. When I started this, I didn't really expect that many people to read it, let alone amazing people like all of you. Your kind words and love are what's keeping this fic alive, and I can't thank you guys enough.**

 **So with that, I'm signing off for now. See you guys on the flip side. :)**

 **(Oh! Btdubs, I'm hanging out on Tumblr literally all the time, and if you guys ever need or want to chat about something, feel free to hit me up. It can be about anything, I don't care. I'm chasingstarfall and I also track the tag** ** _fic: for your convenience_** **, which I'll post things to periodically as well, like info about updates etc. Anyhoo, I'd love to talk if you ever feel like it. Bye bye now.)**


	8. Chapter 8

***Just a heads up, the beginning of this chapter deals with the death of Akashi's mother, and mentions a little bit of psychological issues, but none of it is very in-depth. Still, I know that can be sensitive stuff to some people, so I just wanted to make sure you guys were informed.***

I felt my entire body freeze up.

"W-what do you mean?" I asked. "You don't mean you actually _killed_ her, right?"

Akashi-kun frowned and let out another deep sigh.

"She is dead due to actions of mine, Kouki," he explained. "I alone hold responsibility."

I clenched my fists under the table. I couldn't believe this; there was no way Akashi-kun could have done something like that. It wasn't possible, especially not at the young age he must have been at when she passed.

"What happened?" I encouraged.

Akashi-kun remained silent for about a minute, and I could only guess that he was trying to figure out how to explain everything to me. Finally, he spoke up.

"There is something you must know about me first, Kouki," he began. "When I was younger, I had a very weak constitution. I was rarely allowed to leave the estate, and spent most of my childhood locked away in my room. I was lonely. Human interaction was a strange and unknown thing to me. My father was always incredibly strict with me as well. Since birth I have been raised to only accept complete success and perfection and nothing less. My young mind was under an incredible amount of stress."

He lifted his hand to his face and slid his fingertips under his left eye, which still had a hint of gold glimmering in it.

"I'm sure you've noticed this by now," he said, "the fact that this eye sometimes will become golden?"

I nodded.

"Do you know why that is?"

"I don't," I admitted.

"Surely you've caught onto the reason by now, Kouki," he lightly teased.

I thought back to all the times I had seen his eye change: the first time we had met and he chased off the man with the knife, that time he came into the store and kissed me for the first time, our first date, the encounter with his father…

"Does it," I mused, "have anything to do with your emotions?"

Akashi-kun nodded. "That is correct. You see, the family line from which my mother came possesses this gift. When we are experiencing a state of heightened emotion, whatever it may be, the irises of our eyes change color, due to a unique mutation in our genes. The intensity of the color is related to the intensity of the emotion."

I thought back to the photo of Akashi-kun's mother that I had seen. Her eyes had both been a soft gold. Due to the large smile that had been on her face, I assumed that she must have been very happy when it was taken. Something about that photo stuck out in my mind though. Something strange.

"Wait," I said, "why is it that only one of your eyes changes? In that picture of your mother, both of her eyes were gold."

"That's an important part to this story, Kouki," Akashi-kun explained. "As I mentioned before, my mind was under an amount of stress that one as young as myself could not handle. That stress to be perfect in every way coupled with my utter lack of human interaction and complete isolation from the outside world took a toll on my mental state. My mind was incredibly volatile, and it wouldn't have taken much to shatter it completely."

I found myself frowning at his words. To hear how much Akashi-kun had gone through at such a young age was heartbreaking. I had no idea that he had grown up in such a cold, lonely environment.

"On my birthday, 13 years ago, I ran away," Akashi-kun continued, ignorant to my inner sympathies. "I was unfamiliar with anything outside of the estate, and I quickly found myself lost. As you have seen, Kouki, my father is not the most pleasant of men, and over his many years running the company, he has made many enemies. I happened to encounter some of them while I was wandering the streets."

Akashi-kun's face hardened, and I had a feeling that this was where the story got difficult for him.

"They recognized me," he said. His voice had grown just a bit softer. "They attacked me, probably with the intent to kidnap me or something of the sort. I was struck in the head; just here, above my right eye." He moved his hand to touch the area between his right eyebrow and his hairline. "I became very disoriented after that. That was when-" he paused and took a deep breath. "That was when my mother showed up. She had discovered I was missing and had come after me."

He stopped again, and I could tell that he was really having difficulty continuing on with the story. I reached across the small table and took one of his hands, gently giving it a squeeze to encourage and comfort him.

He smiled sadly at my gesture. "She defended me, but she was no match for them. One of the men pulled out a gun. I had lost a large amount of blood from the wound on my head, and my grip on consciousness was steadily failing. Even so, I felt the strong need to protect my mother, so in my weakened state, I charged the man with the gun. I grabbed hold of his arm, but felt a wave of dizziness wash over me. I heard a shot ring out before I lost consciousness completely."

The amount of anguish Akashi-kun was showing on his usually stoic face almost brought me to tears.

"Akashi-kun," I muttered, squeezing his hand a little tighter, "you don't have to go on if you don't want to."

Akashi-kun shook his head. "No, it is alright. I wish for you to know this."

"Okay…" I whispered, letting my frown deepen.

"I managed to regain awareness after a few moments, but I was still very weak. The men had left the alleyway that had dragged me in to. My mother… My mother was shot, Kouki. Because of me, she was shot. The sight of her… lying there sent me completely over the edge. My mind was in shambles, and I was only six years old."

I had to fight to keep the onslaught of tears threatening to spill from my eyes at bay. I didn't want to hear any more of this; it was too much. However, Akashi-kun was not yet finished with his tale.

"After the incident, I spent many weeks in the hospital. I had suffered from a psychotic break. I refused to speak to anyone, I didn't want to eat, I simply sat in my bed in silence, staring off into nothing. I retreated into myself. I was a frightened child that had just lost the only person in the world that mattered to me, and I myself had been responsible. My father has never forgiven me for what happened." Akashi-kun pointed to his face once more, picking the right eye this time. "This is a reminder of what I have done."

"What do you mean?" I asked. My voice was trembling much more than I wanted it to; I was trying to be strong for him here.

"The blow to my head damaged this this eye, Kouki," Akashi-kun explained. "Some have referred to it my 'dead eye; it no longer changes and from it I can barely see. Because of this, every time I feel the change happening only to my left, I am reminded of the reason why that is. It is my curse; my punishment for causing the death of my own mother."

This was all way too much for me to take in. Akashi-kun seemed to have finished his tale, and even though it was undeniably tragic, there was one thing about it that didn't sit right with me.

"Akashi-kun," I began, my tone turning serious, "you can't blame yourself for what happened."

He opened his mouth to protest my statement, but I stopped him.

"Just listen to me, please," I insisted. "Those men killed your mother, not you. Your mother came after you because she loved you. She fought for you because she wanted to keep you safe. She did all of those things willingly. You were just a kid, and you did everything you could have. I'm sure your mother would say the same thing if she were here."

Akashi-kun stared at me for a long while, completely in silence. His left eye continued to flicker, and I could see the golden color brightening more and more by the moment. What was he feeling now, to cause it to react like that? I received my answer only moments later, when a solitary tear found its way down from his damaged right eye.

We both shared the same look of surprise.

Akashi-kun wiped away the stray tear, and looked down at the wetness on his hand with an expression of total bewilderment.

"This emotion," he muttered. "I do not understand. I cannot recall this ever happening before. Why…?"

I had a feeling he was talking more to himself than to me. His words did strike a chord in me, though, and I had an idea.

I stood up from the chair I had been sitting in since Akashi-kun had started his story and walked the short distance around the table to grab Akashi-kun's hand and drag him up with me.

"Kouki, what are you-"

"Just go with it," I replied.

Truth be told, I was pretty embarrassed to do what I was about to do, but I hoped that it would help it out in some way.

I led Akashi-kun over to the couch and told him to sit, which was almost a disaster because of the horrible state of the seat. Akashi-kun looked very confused at my actions, and became even more so when I tugged his head down and set it in my lap, just like my mother always used to do for me. I let my fingers card through his hair, and I closed my eyes and tried to remember the words she would always say to me. If I could say something like that, maybe I could help him, even if it was just a little.

"It's okay to struggle," I began. "We are only human. Emotions and feelings aren't weakness, they are what make us stronger and make us who we are. So it's okay." I felt a smile tug on the corners of my mouth. "Just remember this; when you struggle," I felt my lips gently press against his forehead before I could stop myself, just above his right eye, "you don't have to do it alone. I'm here. I'm here for you. So you can cry. It's okay… _Seijuuro."_

We spent that night together on my couch, my fingers continuing to softly run through his smooth red locks, the only sound being the quiet sobs coming from my tear-soaked lap, and the loud beating of my own heart as I fell deeper and deeper in love with him with every drop that fell from his eyes.

* * *

When we awoke the next morning, Akashi-kun was back to his old self. He recalled how I had called him by his first name, and insisted that I continued doing so. I, on the other hand, still found it much too embarrassing- it had just slipped out last night, after all- but told him that I would start working up to it. Aka- uh, _Seijuuro,_ seemed to accept that well enough.

"Just don't take too long," he warned playfully.

I rolled my eyes and went to the kitchen to start breakfast.

"Kouki," Akashi-kun spoke up while I cracked a few eggs into the hot pan.

"Hm?"

"That meal you prepared for us last night was quite delicious. What was it called?"

I was a little surprised by the inquiry. I mean, it was just tofu soup. He had to have had it before, right?

"Tofu soup," I replied, poking one of the eggs with my spatula.

"Ah, I see."

He didn't say anything else after that, but my curiosity was never satisfied.

"Have you not had tofu soup before?" I asked incredulously.

"I cannot say that I have," he stated.

"You're serious?"

"Of course."

"Wow, that's kind of crazy. I mean, I guess you are super rich and have fancy private chefs and everything, but still. I just assumed everyone had had it at some point or another."

As soon as I said it, I instantly regretted it. Oh, God, I hadn't offended him had I? Crap, I did, I definitely did. That was why he hadn't said anything, wasn't it?

My internal freak out was brought to a halt when he finally spoke up.

"I would very much enjoy it if you made it again sometime."

I was so, so very glad that I decided to turn around and look at him then, because he was ridiculously adorable right now.

Seriously, Akashi-kun was like a really big kid. He acted all tough and grown up, but inside he was actually really sensitive and sweet. I had thought about him like that before, but especially with everything from last night, I was convinced.

Right now, for instance, his gaze was averted, and there was a hint of pink dusting his cheeks. _Cute_.

"Definitely!" I agreed, holding back the chuckle that threatened to escape. "I'll make it again, since you like it so much."

He nodded. "Thank you, Kouki."

"No problem!" I replied, turning back to the eggs in the pan.

"Kouki?" Akashi-kun asked.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for last night." He said it so quietly, I could barely hear him, but I could tell it was a sincere thank you form the bottom of his heart.

"You're welcome," I responded. "It was the least I could do… Seijuuro."

I didn't turn around then, because my face felt hotter than the pan the eggs were searing inside of, but I'm sure if I did, I would have been met with both a teasing smirk and a loving gaze.

* * *

Akashi-kun and I spent the rest of the day together until I had to go to work. I'd taken the past couple days off, and I was pretty sure that Hyuga-san would kill me if I skipped out again, so I made certain to get there right on time for my shift and not wander in a few minutes late like I had been prone to do. Hyuga-san was actually pretty impressed by my punctuality.

It was another pretty quiet night; we only had a couple of kids come in, as well as an American tourist that I tried my hardest to communicate with even though I was pretty hopeless when it came to the language. Anyway, I spent most of the night meandering around the shelves and doing some cleaning here and there, so I had a lot of time to myself to think. With Akashi-kun's birthday past, I was back to my original dilemma of having no idea what to get him for Christmas. I was completely at a loss as to what to do. So, as with any life-struggle I was dealing with at work, I asked Hyuga-san for his advice.

"Hyuga-san!" I called as I saw him come out from the back of the store.

"Hm?"

"I want to ask you something!"

He sighed and gave me a look that said something like "not this again," but came over to where I was anyway.

"What is it?" he grumbled.

"Okay," I began, "remember that friend I told you about? Well, they finally confessed and now everything's going great for them, but, you know, Christmas is just a few days away, and they want to get something for their… lover? But their… lover is pretty well-off, and could definitely have anything they wanted in the entire world with a snap of their fingers, so I was wondering, what do you get for someone who already has everything?"

"Give them something that they couldn't just buy anywhere," Hyuga-san responded immediately.

"But, like what?"

"Something special and unique."

"Like?"

"Something from the heart."

 _"Like?"_

"Good God, Furihata, why don't you just make him something?" Hyuga-san snapped. "You're artsy, right? I'm sure you could come up with something."

My face lit up like fire. "H-how did you know I was talking a-about me?!"

"I'm not an idiot, Furihata," Hyuga-san said. "You're with that red-head, right? He comes by pretty much every time you're working. You get really flustered when he walks in. It was pretty obvious."

I wanted to curl in a hole and die. I was trying my best to be discreet, but apparently I was garbage at it, and Hyuga-san had known all along. I groaned in embarrassment.

"Oi," Hyuga-san chided, "it's not a big deal, Furihata. I could care less if you and that guy are a thing. Just please stop with this whole 'my friend was wondering' stuff. If you have a question, just man up and ask. I've always got your back, got it?"

I gaped up at him. "Hyuga-saaaan!" I went in for a hug, but was promptly shut down.

"Hey! None of that!" he warned.

"You're the best, Hyuga-san! You really are!"

Hyuga-san smirked at my praise, but I could see a hint of a blush on his face. "Of course," he said before pausing to clear his throat. Embarrassed Hyuga-san really was something else. "Now get back to work! You've got days of missed work to make up for!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I replied.

Hyuga-san gave me a swift nod and turned to head to the other end of the store.

"Hyuga-san!" I called after him. "Really, thank you."

"…Anytime."

* * *

I let loose a wild yawn and wiped the back of my hand across my forehead, knowing I had probably just left a streak of paint behind, but really not caring because I was beyond exhausted. With one final sweep of my brush against the canvas, I deemed my creation finished and all but collapsed in my chair in relief.

It was early evening, Christmas Eve, and I had been seriously afraid that I wouldn't finish in time, but somehow I had managed to get done with a few hours still to spare. I knew that it probably wouldn't be completely dry by the time I saw him, but I'd rather it still be wet and done than not have anything at all. I took a step back and observed my work, and I was extremely pleased with how it turned out.

I had taken Hyuga-san's advice to heart and had been spending the past few days endlessly working on my piece. It was one of my larger works to date, and it was honestly a miracle that I had gotten it done. But hey, Christmas was the perfect time for miracles, right?

I gathered my supplies and started to clean up the mess I had made. There were brushes and empty tubes of paint strewn all across the floor, but thankfully I hadn't really gotten any actual paint anywhere. That stuff could be a pain to clean up. I went over to the sink and carefully cleaned out the bristles of my many brushes before setting them on a towel on the counter to dry. I let out a deep sigh when the clean-up marathon was final complete.

I glanced at the clock and noticed that I still had a few hours before I had decided I would put my grand plan into motion, so I decided that I would take a short nap to regain some of the energy I had used up the last few days and then take a quick (as possible; it was me, after all) shower before I called Akashi-kun over. It was a brilliant timeline I had set for myself, and I quickly went about it.

Unfortunately for me, I ended up sleeping a few hours longer than I had planned. Like, it was almost midnight Christmas Eve, and I hadn't bathed, was in a ratty old pair of sweats, and was most definitely covered with paint from head to toe.

Yeah, I freaked.

I ran into my bedroom at a speed I didn't even realize I was capable of and practically tore off my clothes. I grabbed the nearest items of clothing- which turned out to be a simple long-sleeve shirt and some jeans- and tossed them on. My plans to bathe clearly were not going to come to fruition, so I just wet a towel and scrubbed my arms raw, trying to get off as much paint as I could.

Crap, crap, I was late.

I didn't even bother putting on my shoes as I ran out my front door. I wasn't going very far, but I only had a few minutes left. I had no time to waste.

I banged on Akashi-kun's door and struggled to catch my breath. I tapped my bare foot against the floor; a nervous habit of mine. Had he not heard me knock? He was taking too long. I reached up to knock again just as the door opened. I managed to stop myself before I accidentally punched Akashi-kun right in the face. That definitely would have killed the mood.

Akashi-kun looked at me tiredly, groaning softly and rubbing his eyes. "Kouki, you know I always enjoy seeing you, but it's the middle of the night, what are-"

"No time!" I yelled, grabbing onto his arm and tugging him out of his apartment. "Follow me! Hurry!"

Akashi-kun looked confused, but did as I said anyway and followed along as I pulled on his arm.

Just a few more minutes.

I stopped just inside the door of my apartment and turned to face Akashi-kun, who still looked completely baffled by what was going on.

"Close your eyes," I instructed.

He looked like he was going to ask why, but I cut him off.

"Just do it."

Akashi-kun looked skeptical, but followed my instructions and shut his eyes. I waved my hand in front of his face a few times just to make sure he couldn't see, and after I had deemed that he wasn't cheating, I took hold of his hand and led him further into the apartment.

One more minute.

"Kouki, what are you up to here?" Akashi-kun asked.

"Just wait!" I insisted. I kept my eyes focused on the clock. Any second now…

"Merry Christmas, Akashi-kun!" I exclaimed as soon as the clock read midnight. "You can open your eyes now."

Akashi-kun's eyelids slowly parted, and he was met face-to-face with my masterpiece.

Showing it to him was a lot more embarrassing than I had thought it would be, and now that it was happening, I was afraid that I had maybe made the wrong choice as to the subject matter.

My fears were demolished by the soft gasp that left Akashi-kun's lips. He took a step closer to the painting and reached out his hand, letting it hover over the canvas, tracing the lines without touching.

"Kouki," he whispered, "this is beautiful."

I smiled softly at the praise, my earlier worries all but gone now.

I hadn't known if presenting Akashi-kun with a painting of his mother would go over well, considering the story I had just recently heard, and it still being so close to the date of her death, but I could see now that I had made a good decision.

The composition of the painting was rather simple; I hadn't exactly had time to do anything overly extravagant, but I thought the simplicity was what made it all-the-more meaningful.

It featured the almost spectral figure of Akashi-kun's mother reaching down from above, her long, vibrant red hair and silken gown billowing softly behind her. There was a loving smile on her face, and her eyes were bright gold, just as I had seen in the photo of her. I had chosen this expression for her, not only because I believed it was probably her at her loveliest, but because the other figure in the painting that her fingertips were reaching down to caress was that of her most beloved. Her son. The Akashi-kun in my painting had a soft smile on his face, one of peace and acceptance. He was content. He was happy. And that was what I wanted most for him, as I'm sure his mother did as well, and I could only hope that I had managed to convey that in my artwork.

Akashi-kun was silent, merely staring at the painting and hovering over the canvas with his hand. I took a step forward to join his at his side. I grabbed his free hand in mine and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sure your mother wants you to be happy," I said softly. "I think that if she were here now, she'd say that. I know that wherever she is now, she's watching over you. That's what this painting means."

Akashi-kun gave my hand a tight squeeze in return. "Kouki," he muttered, turning away from the painting to look at me. His left eye was burning gold again. "I would very much like to kiss you now."

I squeaked in response and knew that my face had to be all kinds of shades of red right now. He could turn me into a blubbering, embarrassed mess like it was nothing. When did he get so much control over me? A few months ago, I never would have dreamed that I would come to feel like this about him. But now, I couldn't dream of spending the rest of my life without him in it.

I had been content with my life. I had a job, I had friends, I had school, I had my art; I thought I didn't need anything else. But then, because of one chance encounter on one normal night, I was here in my apartment holding hands and staring into the mismatched eyes of Akashi Seijuuro and feeling more love than I ever knew I was capable of.

I couldn't help but laugh when I thought back to how I was months ago, cowering and hiding every time I thought I saw him, and freaking out every time I actually did. I had been a mess. But he had changed me. I was braver now; I spoke my mind and carried myself with much more confidence than I ever had before. All of that was because of him.

And if I wasn't mistaken, Akashi-kun had changed a lot too. He was warmer and more expressive now. He was open with me about his feelings and even let me see his most vulnerable sides.

We had both grown, and I was sure that we had become better versions of ourselves.

"Kouki?" Akashi-kun asked, giving my hand another little squeeze. "Are you listening? I said that I would like to kiss you. Is that acceptable?"

I chuckled. "Like you've ever asked before," I muttered teasingly.

He smirked- which was something I think I was growing to love as well- and pulled me in close. Our lips met, softly at first, but quickly became tangled together more passionately. Our lips fit together so perfectly, I noted. It was like they were made for each other; like we were made for each other. I truly believed that, and as we stood there in my living room, kissing each other and holding each other close and whispering soft word to each other, I knew that I never wanted this to end. I was his now, and he was mine, and I didn't think I could ever bear to be separated from him ever again. We were bound together by the strongest force in all of the universe; love.

Life has a funny way of giving you the things you need most in the most unconventional of ways, sometimes without you even realizing it, and although it may not always be easy, in the end, it's always worth it.

After all, the best things in life are the things you have to work for; I had always been taught that, and now I could see the truth in those words.

Sure, our meeting may not have been convenient, nor had many of our encounters since, but I believe from the bottom of my heart that it was exactly what we both needed, and looking back, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

 **A/N:**  
 **Guys, guys, guys, I meant to have this finished and out like yesterday, but I settled down for my usual Sunday afternoon nap, and ended up sleeping until like 1 or so in the morning. And even after that marathon nap, I was somehow still tired, and slept even more until mid-afternoon. All that to say, I've wasted like 2 days of my life, but I still managed to get this puppy done today.**  
 **If you couldn't tell by the kind of "this is wrapping things up kind of" ending, the next chapter is going to be the last. It will be a kind of epilogue-y thing from Sei Sei's POV, and any loose ends I've left hanging around should get tied up then.**

 **Thank you guys so much for sticking with me this long! I seriously feel soooo blessed to have so many amazing and dedicated readers. You guys are the bomb, yo. I'll save all my really sappy stuff until the end of the next chapter, but for now, I'm sending you all a big thank you hug. *huuuuug***

 **Okie doke! That's all from this kiddo. Tune in next time for our dramatic conclusion.**

 **(And, as always, I'm on Tumblr as chasingstarfall if you guys want any more virtual hugs. Hit me up. I'll gladly give them.)**

 **Bye bye!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Before we start, I just wanted to give you guys a heads up that a lot of this chapter is flashbacks, so when weird transitions happen (like when they see Sei Sei's dad and visit Kuroko) it's stuff that's happened in the past the Sei Sei is remembering throughout the night. I think I've made it pretty clear, but I didn't want anyone to get confused like, "how the heck did they end up there all the sudden?" Okie doke, that's all. Enjoy!**

 **Epilogue**

 ** _Akashi Seijuuro_**

"Sei! Have you seen my shoes? You know, the nice ones? I can't find them anywhere! I'm going to have to go shoeless, aren't I? It's either that or sneakers. No, no, God this is the worst. I- oh, never mind, I found them!"

I couldn't help but snicker at Kouki's nervous blundering. He was fumbling around the house like a bee that was trying to find its one favorite flower out of an entire field. His adorableness truly knew no bounds.

"We are going to be late, Kouki," I warned gently. "Are you ready?"

Kouki squeaked when he realized the time and went into an even more crazed frenzy than before.

"It's that late already? Damn it! Okay, okay. I think I've got everything." He ran a hand through his wild hair and stopped to catch his breath. He glanced downward at his appearance to make sure everything was in order. "Um, Sei? Do you mind…?"

I chuckled and walked over to him. "All this time and you still have no idea how to do this properly," I said as I knotted the dark tie around his neck.

Kouki's cheeks flushed at my comment. "Well, I always have you to do it for me!"

I smiled and gave his chest a pat with the palm of my hand. "That you do." I pressed a small kiss to his forehead; something I had come to discover that he enjoyed. "Are you ready to go now?"

Kouki nodded, averting his gaze as his cheeks darkened. Even now, I just couldn't get enough of his reactions.

"How do I look?" he asked nervously.

I took a step back and let my eyes give him a once-over from head-to-toe. Kouki in a suit was definitely quite a sight to behold, and I was sure I would never tire of it. He had really matured a lot over the last couple of years, but despite that- as well as the fact the he was older than me- I still couldn't help but find him utterly adorable.

Truly, he never failed to take my breath away.

"Beautiful," I replied without a second thought.

"S-Sei!"

The color of his embarrassed face was definitely my favorite.

I ignored his meaningless protests and embarrassed blubbering and wrapped one of my arms around his slender waist. "Shall we go?"

Kouki merely nodded, unable to form words in his embarrassment, and I led us out of the front door.

* * *

Kouki and I had moved in together a few months before my 20th birthday, when we finally revealed the nature of our relationship to my father. As I had expected, he did not take the news well.

"You have an obligation to this family!" my father snapped. "You are the sole heir. It is your duty to marry with the future of the company in mind and produce the next heir. And yet you still insist on consorting with this _man_ instead?"

My hold on Kouki's hand tightened. I could feel my heart rate rising and that oh-so-familiar burn of agitation beginning to cloud my senses. Kouki's thumb ran across the back of my hand soothingly, and it was the only thing keeping me in control.

"Why should I have any obligation to this family?" I seethed. "This family has never done anything for me. I could care less about this 'duty' you speak of. I have no intention of marrying. Do what you will, Father, but this time you will not beat me."

My father's glare was harsh, and while it may have frightened me when I was still a child, I felt no fear from it now.

"How _dare_ you," my father replied, his face reddening with anger. "Because of you, my wife is lost to the world forever, and you think that you now have the right to speak to me like that? Even after everything I've done for you? Why was it you that came back, Seijuuro? Why was it you and not her? You are nothing but a disappointment to me. Perhaps it would have been better if you had been lost instead."

I was moments from snapping when Kouki suddenly stood from his seat.

"E-excuse me!" he yelled, trying to sound tough even through his body was visibly shaking. The look in his eyes was enough to silence even my father though. "I'm sorry, but I can't just sit by and let you talk like that. Aka- _Seijuuro_ has done nothing wrong. Your wife's death was not his fault, and I think that deep down know that too. So stop blaming that on him! He's been beating himself up over it all this time, and when he needed someone the most, you turned your back on him."

I looked up Kouki in awe. I was sure my father was experiencing the same shock as I.

"You're his father!" Kouki continued, a couple of what I assumed were angry-tears running down his face. "You of all people should have been there for him!" Kouki's hand moved to his chest and grabbed a fistful of his shirt just above his heart. "I know I'm a man. I know I'm not wealthy or important and that I can never have kids, but there is something that even someone as worthless as me can give him. It's something that all the money and power in the whole world can never buy; my love. I will give him all of the love I'm capable of. And that's more than you've ever given him in his whole life. You can hate me if you want, I don't care. But don't think for a minute that I will ever let you have him." Kouki bowed sharply. "If you'll excuse me." He straightened up, and with one final glare at my father, turned and stormed out of the room.

The room fell into silence, and I was frozen in my seat. I had never expected Kouki to react so boldly like that, least of all in front of my father. I couldn't stop the small smirk from forming on my face. He never ceased to amaze me.

"Well," I said when I finally regained myself and stood from my chair, "that's the way it is, Father. Excuse me." I began to head to the door when my father's voice stopped me.

"I see," he mused quietly.

I glanced back over my shoulder. His expression surprised me. He didn't look angry. He looked shocked, and if I wasn't mistaken, a tad impressed as well.

"See what?" I asked.

"What drew you to him," he replied. "His spirit… he is very much like your mother."

I turned my head back to face forward as my face split into a wide smile. I gave the doorknob a twist and began to take my leave.

"Yes. I know."

* * *

The taxi was already waiting when Kouki and I exited our house, and we quickly entered the vehicle. Kouki told the driver our destination and then sat back in his seat. His foot was tapping against the carpeted floor, and his thumbs circled each other in a nervous fashion. He couldn't stop fidgeting.

I grabbed one of his hands- practically wrenching it from its vice grip with the other- and placed a soft kiss to his knuckles.

"Calm down," I cooed. "There's nothing to be nervous about. You'll be fine."

"I know," he sighed. "It's just, this is my first time doing something like this."

I smirked at that particular comment and leaned over to press my lips against the shell of his ear.

"Then it should be fine," I breathed out hotly. "After all, we've experienced all kinds of other firsts together, haven't we?"

I watched as Kouki shivered and the red from his face spread down his neck and even up to the tip of his ears. I lightly nipped at the flushed skin with my teeth.

"S-S-Sei!" Kouki jumped and pushed me back roughly. He couldn't even look at me, and my smile broke out before I could stop it.

He got embarrassed often, but it was rare that he reached this level. In fact, I could only think of one particular time that I had seen him like this. In retrospect, it was just past New Year's, only weeks after Kouki had presented me with the portrait of my mother, and perhaps it was one of my most amusing memories to date.

* * *

"Did Kuroko tell you what he wanted?" Kouki asked as we approached Tetsuya's apartment.

"No," I replied. "He simply called and told me to come over at this time. Perhaps he wishes to discuss something with us?"

Kouki shrugged. "I guess that's possible. But couldn't he have just done it over the phone?"

"Tetsuya is a constant surprise, Kouki," I explained. "Who knows what his motives may be."

Kouki agreed with that, and before we could discuss the reason for our visit any further, we reached the apartment. The door swung open before Kouki had a chance to knock a second time.

"Welcome," Tetsuya greeted, giving us a small bow before stepping aside to let us in.

"Thanks for having us," Kouki replied as he slipped off his shoes.

"Hello, Tetsuya," I said as I followed suit.

"Akashi-kun," Tetsuya responded with a small nod.

"Oh, they're here!" a voice called from somewhere further in the apartment. Kagami came into view a moment later, wiping his hands on the apron that hung around his waist. "Come on in and have a seat. Dinner is almost ready."

Kouki took the lead and I followed him to the table. I naturally chose the seat next to him, while Tetsuya chose the one directly opposite. We sat in silence until Kagami joined a few minutes later. He set a large pot down in the center of the table before taking the seat across from me.

"Kagami-kun made hot pot," Tetsuya explained.

Kouki's eyes lit up when the lid of the post was removed and steam and delicious scents rose out.

"Yes!" Kouki exclaimed.

"Go on," Kagami urged. "Dig in already!"

 _"Itadakimasu!"_

While it was true that Kagami was quite talented in the kitchen, I was partial to Kouki's cooking myself. Although, I supposed I was a bit biased in the matter. Still, even so, the meal was quite delicious.

We spent the next few minutes eating and exchanging small talk, but I knew that a dinner date could not have been the sole reason for Tetsuya inviting us over. He had to have had some other motive. Of course, my suspicions were confirmed when he finally spoke up.

"I think it's time for me to say why I asked you both over," Tetsuya began.

I, of course was not shocked that he had a hidden agenda, but Kouki- and to my surprise, even Kagami- looked confused at his outburst.

"Well?" I urged.

Tetsuya remained silent for a moment, simply staring at us with his blank blue eyes, before letting out a sigh and speaking once more. "I know you two have finally admitted your feelings for each other, and since this is the first relationship either of you have had, I want to make sure you know how to do everything properly."

Kouki's face contorted in puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

"Sex," Tetsuya replied shortly, his expression still never-changing.

The reaction from both Kouki and Kagami was instantaneous, and almost identical.

I had never seen a person become such a dark red before.

"Ah," Tetsuya continued, "I can only really talk about one part of it though, so I will have a discussion with Furihata-kun, and Kagami-kun will speak with Akashi-kun."

The sip of water Kagami had just taken to cool himself down from the initial shock spewed out of his mouth like a geyser.

"K-Kuroko!" he yelled. "What the hell?! You didn't tell me anything about this! I thought we were just having dinner!"

"I knew you would say no if I told you beforehand," Tetsuya explained.

 _"Kuroko!"_

All this time, Kouki still remained silent. His eyes were blown wide, and when I looked at him, he immediately turned away and hid his face.

Cute.

"Why do I have to be the one to talk to him about it, anyway?!" Kagami was still going off on Tetsuya, but I could tell it was because he was almost as embarrassed as Kouki was.

"Akashi-kun is most likely going to be the dominate one," Tetsuya said, "and since you're always the one to-"

"Okay, okay, just stop!" Kagami slapped his hands over Tetsuya's mouth and sighed. "I'll do it, alright? Just, _please_ stop talking."

Tetsuya nodded and Kagami removed his hands.

"You," he said, pointing in my general direction, "come with me." He stood and skulked off into the kitchen.

I followed behind, a smirk settling itself on my face. I had a feeling the upcoming discussion was going to be very interesting, and I definitely wasn't disappointed.

When we reunited with Tetsuya and Kouki at the table and few minutes later, Kouki had somehow become even redder than he had been when I left.

"I think Furihata-kun needs to go lie down," Tetsuya said. "Perhaps you should take him home, Akashi-kun?"

"Of course," I replied, my smirk returning once more.

Kouki stood up from the seat shakily, and with a quick farewell, we exited the apartment.

The walk down the hall was not far at all, and I knew I only had a very short time to tease before I let Kouki go for the evening.

"How was your discussion with Tetsuya?" I asked.

Kouki didn't reply and simply continued on down the hall, his eyes trained on his feet as he moved.

I moved a little closer to him and let my hand brush against his.

"Well, I do not know how yours went, but mine was very _enlightening."_

I saw the shiver make its way up Kouki's body, but before I could mess with him any further, we reached his apartment and he was already fumbling with his key. I stood back and watched in amusement until he final got the door open.

He stopped just inside the doorway and finally tore his eyes from the floor and looked up at me.

"A-are you not going to come in?" he asked quietly.

I smiled softly at him. He was too adorable for me sometimes. "Do you want me to come in?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. He swallowed and tried again.

"I just thought that after that you would want to… you know…"

I chuckled and took a step inside, only for the purpose of placing a kiss on his forehead.

"It's okay, Kouki," I told him, bringing one of my hands up to caress his warm cheek. "We don't have to rush into that. I don't mind waiting until you're comfortable. I want it to be something that we decide to do together, when the time is right. When we're both ready."

He stared at me for what felt like a very long time and finally managed a nod.

"Good," I said, giving him another soft kiss. "I will leave you for tonight then. Good night, Kouki."

I pulled away and sent him one final smile before I turned to head to my own apartment.

"G-good night, Seijuuro."

Kouki's apartment door clicked shut.

His adorableness would definitely been my undoing one day.

In the end, our first time together came a few weeks after that. It happened naturally; it was slow and sweet and utterly perfect. I added the memory to my list of most precious ones.

* * *

The taxi finally came to a halt at our destination. Kouki had calmed down a bit, but he was still wearing an expression that made it look like he could be sick at any moment. I kissed his temple and paid the driver. Thankfully, getting Kouki out of the car was a lot easier than I had been anticipating that it would be.

He stopped just outside the door to the building, and I slid up next to him and took his hand in mine.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

He nodded. "I think so."

"I'll be there the whole time," I assured him. "Everything is going to go fine."

Kouki nodded again, and with a deep breath, pushed open the door and stepped inside.

I felt of swell of pride in my chest as we entered the bright gallery. Kouki's artwork hung on the walls as far as the eye could see. It had been almost 3 years since he had graduated from his university, and during that time, his work had become increasingly popular, so much so that he was offered the chance to have it put on display in a popular gallery for a time. Tonight was the opening night of his exhibit, and seeing the look on his face when he saw the crowd that had come just to see what he had made filled me with so much emotion that I could almost feel the beginnings of a small tingle in my left eye.

Kouki was frozen just inside the entryway, so I let go of his hand and gave him a shove forward.

He looked back at me with a confused and slightly nervous expression.

"Go on," I encouraged. "You'll be fine. I'm just going to take a look around."

Kouki sighed, but gave me a small nod before wandering off into the crowd. He was swarmed almost immediately; everyone wanted a chance to talk with him about his art. I was content watching from a distance as his face heated up or brightened with a smile depending on what was asked of him; his reactions were still so pure, I would never get enough of them.

Eventually, I managed to take my eyes away from him and began to explore the gallery, just like I had said I would. Kouki's skill was incredible, and even after all this time, it still amazed me when he turned out a new piece.

When we had learned of the offer of the exhibit, I asked Kouki whether or not he wanted to include the piece he had done for me of my mother so many years ago, but he declined.

"That one is only for you," he had said. That had made me quite happy to hear.

As I walked along, I caught sight of a few familiar pieces (the ones of the sunset and the violin stuck out to me particularly well) as well as a few even I hadn't seen yet. I eventually came to a stop before a rather large painting that I was unfamiliar with. It was a scene of nighttime on a hill. The dark sky was filled with bright, glowing stars that stood out even against the vibrant red and orange fireworks exploding across the canvas. Sitting atop the grassy hill was a pair of people that I thought looked suspiciously like another red and brown haired set I knew. I found myself smiling softly as I looked at it.

"He's quite gifted, isn't he?" a voice commented from beside me.

I glanced over and took in the form of the middle-aged man that was standing next to me. He was also admiring the same piece as I, it seemed.

"He is," I agreed.

"His works weren't always as impressive as this, though," the man said. "There was a time a few years back when he was caught in a rut and could hardly get his pieces done, let alone put out something on this level."

"Is that so?" I replied. I felt a small twinge of irritation at his comment, but decided to let it go. I didn't want to ruin Kouki's night.

The man nodded. "He changed though. About midway through that school year. His works became a lot more intimate, like he was finally starting to connect with them on a personal level and was pouring his feelings into each one." He sent me a sideways glance. "He also started to use a lot of red."

That caught my attention.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about what changed for him, would you?" the man asked.

I tried to remain as composed as I could, but not even I could keep the small smile from breaking out on my face. "Hm, I can't say that I do," I replied. "It must have been something incredible to cause such a drastic change though."

The man hummed, disbelief evident in his tone. "I'm sure it was."

I turned to look at him once more and took in the knowing look on his face.

He sent me a small nod before excusing himself and leaving me standing alone.

"Sei!" Kouki came bounding up to my side only a few moments later. "Was that Aida-sensei you were talking to just now? What did he say?"

I snickered and sent Kouki the smirk that I knew he had become weak to.

"Who knows?"

* * *

The rest of the evening passed without a hitch. Kouki had become a lot more comfortable as time went on, and by the end of the night, he was proudly walking around the gallery and confidently showing his artwork off to the guests. I was inexplicably proud of him, and I made sure to tell him as much. Of course, he became an embarrassed mess again as soon as I said it, but thankfully the night was already over by then.

It was late by the time we finally got back to our little home. After his confrontation with Kouki, my father had eased up on us a bit and even agreed to finally dissolve my engagement, but I still refused to live under the same roof as him. I had not, however, given up on the company. I was determined to take it over one way and run it to the best of my ability with Kouki right there by my side. I really didn't mind not living in the manor anyway; it had always seemed cold and empty and much too big for my liking, and although I had originally moved out to spite my father, I could never imagine ever going back now. That's why I had suggested that Kouki and I move into a small house instead of an apartment, and I was beyond thrilled when he accepted.

We were surprisingly domestic, although I had been at a loss as to how to do most of the things required to keep a household running. Kouki was always ready and willing to teach me though, to which I was grateful. I was still disgustingly horrible at cooking however, much to my chagrin. But Kouki's meals- especially that tofu soup of his- were so delicious, I didn't really mind it all that much.

Socks was quick to greet us when we entered. She had grown quite a bit over the past few years. Kouki always got on to me and told me that I fed and spoiled her too much, but that was utter nonsense. She was perfectly healthy, even if her stomach stuck out a bit. I reached down to pet her as she rubbed against my leg.

"Are you going to bed?" I asked Kouki as he stumbled inside and yawned wildly.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted."

"Alright," I replied. "I'm going to feed Socks and then I'll come join you."

"Sei," Kouki began, "don't you think she's had enough today? I mean just look-"

I sent him a sharp glare and he stopped himself from what he was about to say.

"Okay," he sighed. "I'll see you in a minute then."

I watched him as he went off to the bedroom and when he was gone, I lifted up Socks and carried her with me into the kitchen. I decided to just fill her dish with water for now, to ease Kouki's mind. But she would definitely be getting a treat later on. I gave her one last pat on the head before I headed off to the bedroom myself.

Kouki was already in bed and asleep by the time I changed and joined him. Of all of his expressions, the peaceful and serene one he showed when sleeping was one of my favorites. I couldn't keep myself from touching his cheek gently with my fingertips. I slid over a little further and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him against my chest and resting my chin on the top of his head. Ever since we had started sharing a bed, I had noticed that my night terrors had become less frequent. They were nothing but a far off memory to me now, and that was all because of Kouki. Truly, he was amazing.

I felt myself release a small yawn and began to close my eyes went I felt movement against my chest. I wondered if Kouki had awoken and was repositioning himself, but the soft snoring I could hear coming from him told me otherwise. I cracked open an eye to investigate and couldn't help but chuckle at the sight I beheld.

Socks had come into the room and had snuggled into the small space between me and Kouki, much like a small child would do when they were frightened during the night. She too had fallen asleep rather quickly, and I watched the rise and fall of her breathing fondly.

Taking in the scene before me, I thought that we might have resembled a family then. I had never quite understood what a family was or how they were supposed to act, but this moment, curled up close with those that meant the most to me, I'm sure that this is what being a family felt like. I never knew that being so close with another could feel so nice, and now that I had tasted this feeling, I would never let it escape me again.

With these two by my side, Socks and Kouki, I was happier than I had ever been before. Truly, wholly happy to the depths of my very soul. This was the life I had never known that I was desperately wanting.

I smiled widely, one of the very rare true smiles that had only begun to show themselves since Kouki came into my life, and felt a soft, pleasant burn fill my left eye as I settled down to sleep beside those that I had come to live for.

"Good night," I muttered as I felt the beginnings of sleep prickle in the back of my mind.

 _…I love you._

 **A/N:**  
 **We did it. We have reached the end. I actually kind of can't believe it myself. This is like the first time I've ever actually finished writing something lengthy, and even though it's not perfect, I'm really proud of it. I've become really attached to this thing, and I'm actually getting kind of emotional over here thinking about how it's over, but all things must come to an end eventually, and I'm satisfied ending this little piece of my life here.**

 **I know for a fact that I wouldn't have made it this far without you guys. I know I've said it like a million times, but you all are the most amazing readers I could have ever hoped to have. Especially you, my dear, dear Tumblr friends (you know who you are) you guys are the best. You all have kept me motivated and going this whole time, and I can't thank you enough.**

 **Oh! And by the way, I've recently written a little short oneshot called Meteor Shower, which is basically entirely made of fluff and cheese, and I've also already (kind of) started on a new Akafuri fic, so you guys can expect that in the near-ish future.**

 **I feel like there's something I'm forgetting, and it's driving me nuts, but I can't think of it, but if you guys have any questions or comments are want to share a cookie with me, you can hit me up on the Tumblr at chasingstarfall (if I remember what I wanted to say, I'll probably say it on there).** **But I do remember that I wanted to say that in the last chapter I wrote that Akashi was 5 when his mother died, but I meant to say 6, because if he was 5 he'd be 18 instead of 19**. **I've fixed it now, but I just wanted to tell you guys that have already read it.**

 **Anyway, this endnote is a million years long, but I just wanted to express to you all how much you mean to me, and how much I've appreciated every single one of your comments and views. Thank you guys for everything.**

 **So here I go, signing off from this fic for the last time.**

 **Goodbye for now, my dears. Live long and prosper, and may the force be with you.**


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